December 7, 2015 4.24 pm This story is over 98 months old

Erection of first Lincoln mosque enters next phase

New milestone: Construction on Lincoln’s first purpose-built mosque has reached the next phase.

Construction work on Lincoln’s first purpose-built mosque off Boultham Park Road has passed a new milestone, with the erection of the building’s steel skeleton.

As previously reported, construction work got underway on the site of the new mosque in April this year, formerly the home of a dairy factory on the corner of Dixon Street, next to the Lidl supermarket.

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The ground was broken on site in a special ceremony celebrating the start of the work in April. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Now, passers-by can see the progress of the building work has entered the next phase with the steel outline of the structure rising higher behind the site barriers.

Lincoln Mosque Construction 07-12-2015 SS 2

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

An Islamic Association of Lincoln spokesperson said: “As some of you may have already seen, with the Grace of Allah, the mosque steel structure was erected.

“This is a significant milestone for the project and you can all see the progress from now on.

“The recent construction activities like the piling and now the steel structure will cost significantly so we need to continue raising money.

“We need you to continue helping us to raise funds so we can complete our mosque project.”

The Islamic Association of Lincoln were given planning permission for the building in November 2012 by the City of Lincoln Council.

Since then, the association has needed to raise in the region of £1.6 million through donations.

Around £440,000 has been spent on the project so far and around £469,000 still needs to be raised to bring the project to completion.

The mosque will be the first purpose-built prayer facility for Muslims in Lincolnshire, and is set to be completed in 2016.

The new building will have prayer facilities for men, women, teaching spaces for boys and girls, a library and a funeral preparation room.

It will also include dedicated parking for 68 cars and cycle storage spaces.

People can find out more about the project and pledge donations on the website here.

The latest Lincoln mosque designs

The latest Lincoln mosque designs

Previous attempts for a mosque to be built in the city have been controversial. A former site proposed by the Islamic Association was rejected due to parking issues and was later burnt down.

In July 2015, around 200 people supported the English Defence League anti-mosque protest in Lincoln, which also saw a counter demonstration from the Lincoln Against Racism and Fascism (LARF) group.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite