Plans for a public Muslim prayer room at Louth Park have been lodged with Maitland City Council.
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The Mercury understands the facility would not be a mosque, but a small building on two hectares of private land on Louth Park Road where Muslim people could worship.
The plans were lodged with council last month and placed on public exhibition on Friday.
The proposal is not linked to plans for a mosque at Buchanan, in the Cessnock local government area, which has been the focus of emotional public debate in recent months.
An Approved NSW report on possible environmental impacts, which was publicly available on Maitland council’s website, noted that the facility would be a place of worship and gathering for the community.
It would be open to the public every day between 5am and 7pm, but formal worship would take place at the prayer room from 5am to 7am, 1pm to 2pm, and from 4pm to 7pm.
The report noted that the facility was expected to attract about 20 people to any given prayer time.
“The focus of the place of worship is daily prayer, social events and education,” the report said.
Under council’s planning guidelines, the place of worship would be allowed at the proposed site without any need to rezone the land.
There is already a private double storey home on the land.
The report noted that the prayer room building would have a simple design and would not include minarets or other distinguishable features.
A sealed driveway and parking area with 25 spaces would be included in the development.
“The proposed development involves the construction of a new building on the subject land for the purposes of a prayer room,” the report said.
“The approval of this development application will allow persons to undertake daily prayer ritual.
“The building will also provide a venue for weekly education events, and social events as required.”