A “mega-mosque” in the Lake District has said it needs a six-figure sum of money to finish construction.
The South Lakes Islamic Centre (SLIC) is fundraising £182,000 to finish building its three-storey mosque in Dalton-in-Furness, the first in south Cumbria.
The further £182,000 sum is for the final phase of the masjid, which SLIC has described as “one final push”.
Development and construction of the mosque has been the subject of mass protests, with one petition receiving more than 70,000 signatures and raising more than £11,000 in a campaign to hire a specialist barrister to challenge its planning permission.
Dave Nelson, a retired welder from Barrow, said in October that mosques were “ruining” Britain.
He told the BBC: “If they want to pray, go somewhere else.”
But Michelle Scrogham, the Labour MP for Barrow & Furness, said the demonstrations outside the site were “racist”, adding that the area “had immigration on a mass scale for many, many years”.
Speaking to GB News, Donna Hill from Dalton-in-Furness said locals had been “completely ignored” in regard to the plans.
The state of the mosque six months ago, which is now asking for an additional £182,000 to finish construction
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SOUTH LAKES ISLAMIC CENTRE
“We’re objecting to the multi-million pound mega mosque because we just feel that there is no need for it,” she said.
“With less than one per cent of the constituency being Muslim and over 50 per cent being Christians, we feel it’s unfair and that the people of the community have had this forced upon them.
“The locals are concerned and the local community have been ignored, and we feel that it has all been brushed under the carpet and we would like our voices heard.”
Another local told the BBC there were “not enough Muslims here to justify it”, and another said it would encourage more Muslims and asylum seekers to move to the area.
Union Jack flags were placed on the construction site by its owners as a sign of ‘our shared belonging’
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SOUTH LAKES ISLAMIC CENTRE
The centre was founded by a group of Muslim doctors who were working at Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness.
The medics and their families were travelling more than 50 miles to worship without a mosque in the area.
The land was acquired and plans were drawn up in 2021, with full planning permission granted by Barrow Borough Council in December 2022.
The planning application for the building – which includes a prayer hall, community space, roof garden, and parking – received 21 objections.
Dr Ghulam Jeelani said: ‘We will start prayers in our new mosque’
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SOUTH LAKES ISLAMIC CENTREConstruction began in January 2025, with the overall projected cost at approximately £2.5million, and funding raised entirely through voluntary donations.
The mosque opened in a limited capacity for Ramadan this year, but it remains incomplete with heating, carpeting, and washing facilities still uninstalled.
At its initial opening, Dr Ghulam Jeelani told The Guardian: “This is a great achievement. This year, we won’t [have to] hire the community centre.
“We will start prayers in our new mosque.”
In September, the Islamic centre placed Union Jack flags on the construction site to symbolise “our shared belonging”.
A spokesman for the centre said at the time: “It reflects who we are, a British mosque rooted in Cumbria, proud of our home and the community we serve.
“The flag symbolises our shared belonging and our commitment to building unity, friendship, and a home for all.”