Muslim community reaches out after fire at community centre site in Skegness

It could now take up to four years for what was originally planned as a mosque to be built after the derelict site on Roman Bank was gutted by fire in what is being investigated by police as a ‘hate crime’.

The fire on Roman Bank in September came as a huge blow to Muslim families behind the project, who had raised more than £110,000 to buy the site.

Temporary Coast Insp David Webb confirmed at a meeting hosted by the local Muslim community at St Matthew’s Church in Skegness last Wednesday that investigations into the fire were ongoing.

He said: “We know there is history at the site from homeless people living there, and youths were linked to a previous fire, but we cannot overlook the fact the recent fire took place just days after the announcement a mosque was going to be built in Skegness.”

As well as representatives from the police at the meeting, there were members of the public who live close to the site, local councillors, and representatives of the Muslim church nationwide.

They were told that for the past few years, the small group of local Muslim families have met to pray at St Clement’s Church Hall in Skegness or travelled to the mosque in Boston. A church hall has also been made available in Ingoldmells for those working in the area in the summer season.

Naseer Iqbal, a well-known local businessman who has been fundraising for the project by visiting other Muslim churches nationwide, led the discussion.

He said: “I have been in Skegness for 45 years, and although we have received a huge amount of support for the project, we have been shocked that the police have confirmed the last fire was a hate crime.

“There are between 25 and 30 of us who wish to come together to prayer in our own ‘mosque’. As well as meeting in church halls in the past we have travelled to Boston and there are other mosques running in communities in places such as Grimsby and Lincoln.

“After the fire we have been faced with additional costs for security, and after buying the site and planning, there is now nothing left in the pot to build the mosque.

“We will be fundraising at other Musim churches, but it could take up to four years now before the project is built.

“But, surely it is better to have a community centre on the site rather than leave it derelict?”

The plan submitted to East Lindsey District Council as a community cenre includes a hall which can be hired by anyone, and four self-contained first floor flats to help make the project sustainable as only a small number of Muslims are expected to use it for prayer, mainly on Friday afternoons.

Members of the public who attended the event were concerned about parking and the number of people using it, but Mr Iqbal explained that as most of the Muslims using it for prayer worked in the town it was more likely that they would walk.

“It would take an industrial revolution to attract more Muslims to the town - they would only come if there was work.”

Coun Simon Claxton, who represents St Clements Ward, said he was happy concerns from the public had been addressed at the meeting. He said: “There were concerns about traffic on Roman Bank, and the number of people using the mosque, but we have been told most using it will walk there.

“We have since also been told there will be no calls to prayer, and there will be an internal speaker system and not an external one transmitting into people’s houses.

“The reaction to the plan has been surprising as many local people know them and use their shops and takeaways. They just want to meet to pray locally.

“At the moment the site is derelict, and when it is built it will look like a community centre and not how people imagine a mosque to look like. People will not know it is there.”