Plans to convert a Grade II-listed pub, The Gatehouse, into a mosque are facing potential rejection due to concerns over significant harm to a heritage asset. Norwich City Council's Conservation and Design team has recommended refusing the application, citing a lack of justification for changing the building's use and the proposed extension's design and scale.
The Norwich Muslim Centre submitted plans to renovate the Gatehouse, a building dating back to 1934 and designated an 'asset of community value.' The proposals included changing the use of the property's extension from a community center to a place of worship. The extension, described as large and copper-colored with screens and Arabic lettering, has drawn criticism for its scale and modern design.
The conservation team's report states that the proposed rear extension, intended to accommodate prayer halls for men and women, would be disproportionately large compared to the existing building. The report highlights the 'scale and massing,' as well as the 'width' and 'length' of the proposed addition, as being 'far greater in size' than the current structure, leading to a judgment of 'substantial harm' to the heritage asset and its setting.
The Gatehouse, built in 1934, features a mixture of Arts and Crafts and Tudor architectural styles. It has been empty since the death of its landlord in 2023. A public house has occupied the site since at least 1866, though the current building dates from the 1930s and survived wartime attacks. The report describes the pub as a 'superb example' of medieval Kent and East Anglian architecture.
Sirajul Islam, a trustee of the Norwich Muslim Centre, stated that he had spoken with local residents, finding only a few who regularly visited the pub when it was operational. He expressed appreciation for the community's concerns and commitment to working with them. However, the council's report questioned the necessity of the prayer block and suggested that the building could be reused in its current form or with modest, sympathetic refurbishment, potentially even retaining its use as a public house.
Two planning applications related to the proposals have received a mix of objections and supporting letters from the public. The final decision rests with Norwich City Council.