Silent morning prayer is given the go-ahead in Bognor

The silent sessions, lasting about 30 minutes, will start at the Spencer Street building about an hour before sunrise for most of the year.

During Ramadan, prayers can now take place there between midnight and 2am.

Planning permission to open the centre during those hours has been granted by Arun District Council planning officer Jonathan Parsons.

He has decided the centre should be closed except between an hour before sunrise and 11pm each day apart from the fasting month of Ramadan. This will see the opening hours extended by three hours until 2am daily.

His decision follows an application by the Shahjalal Muslim Society and Islamic Centre to overturn restrictions on the use of the former vehicle workshop when its original planning approval was granted by the council in January 1999.

No letters of objection or support were received by the council during the public consultation period about the proposals.

Mr Parsons has imposed strict conditions on his approval.

These state the building must be used only as a community centre, no public address or other sound amplification system can be installed or used and no musical events or amplified music are permitted there.

These restrictions have been put on to protect nearby residents from being disturbed by activities in the building.

The society has pledged to ensure its worshippers park away from the centre during the night-time meetings to limit the impact on their neighbours.

It was estimated last year that between 70 and 100 worshippers from the 50 to 100 Muslim families in the area attended Friday prayers at the centre.

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