A Brief History  – The London Markaz Stratford West Ham was officially the regional Centre for the Tabligh Jamaat in Southern England Uk until 25th December 2017. It was purchased through community funding with the aim of opening a much needed spacious and vibrant Markaz for the Muslims of Britain, Europe and beyond.

It is without doubt one of the longest running planning battles for Muslims anywhere in Britain for more then 2 decades.

On the 20th of November 2017 a historic decison was taken by the most senior legal custodian and Chairperson of this site  who authorised the removal of   three former administrators via a public meeting after these individuls were purported  to have acted under the Chairperson's authority and brought  the site and national organisation to disrepute. Thier actions resulted in public unrest on the site whilst thier divisive acts brought disunity which resulted in the much anticipated demolition order from the High Court in Feb 2018. These individuals were at the forefront in misrepresentating the true vision of the senior authority behind this site.All of this resulted in Plannnig rules violations , bad governence, safeguarding and financail mismanagement  . The London Tabligh community had finally realised that these individuals were in turn the  real obstacles in the building of the London Markaz. The Tabligh Jamaat has at all times been non-Political and no hostility has ever been shown towards any politican albiet local authorty in its 100 year history. Insha Allah we will finally see this site built  and pray that Allah makes this a means of spreading peace everywhere

Brief history since 1995  

1996 Anjuman-e-Islahul Muslimeen purchased the Abbey Mills site (the location of a former chemical works) for £1.6 million.

2001 The Markaz was issued a five-year permit to use the site as a place of worship; however, the permit expired before building commenced.

2007 The site plan incorporated a mosque capable of accommodating 12,000 people, a visitor and conference centre, substantial parking for cars and facilities for bicycles, a new entrance to the West Ham Underground Station, a residential school for 500 pupils, a reception centre for visiting VIPs—including about 20 guest suites, a plan for the retention of the natural habitat on the island location within the site, and extensive landscaping. 

2010 Newham Council tried to shut down the existing temporary facility by serving an enforcement notice on the owners. However, this was overturned on appeal and a two-year extension granted for the use of the site.

2012 Newham Council refused permission for the plans. Markaz appealed against this decision, but the appeal was dismissed by the UK Government in October 2015.

The People behind this site 

Followers of the Tabligh Jamaat who arrived in the Uk from the Indian Subcontinent registered the organisation in the 1975 as the “Anjuman Islahul Muslimeen Uk”. Initially the London Members were conducting its missionary work at the East London Mosque Whitechapel but then purchased a former Synagogue building in the early 80s at 9-11 Christian St E1 1SE.  As this was based in a very densely populated part of East London within a matter of years it became too small to host the followers of the Tabligh Jamaat from the Southern region of the Tabligh Jamaat for its weekly activities. 

Purchase of the Abbey Mills site

After a long search (almost 15 years) in the early 90s a site at the former Chemical Factory Site at the Abbey Mills was purchased to build a permanent base for all its beneficiaries throughout the London region.

THE SITE

1. The Site comprises 6.5 hectares of largely open vacant land. It is within the Arc of Opportunity identified in the local council’s  plan.  The Site comprises part of the Core Strategy Spatial Policy S10 in the local plan which was decided overnight due to political tentions brought onto this site in a conreversail way.
2. Its importance to the London Borough of Newham, with its plans for constructive regeneration of this area of London, cannot be underestimated.  It is a brownfield site and comprises contaminated land, its previous use being as a chemical works.  The closely located West Ham Station provides National Rail, underground, and Docklands Light Railway services.  There are other local transport links through buses and Docklands Light Railway.

THE PLANNING HISTORY AND THE LITIGATION HISTORY

1. The use of the Site for the production of chemicals commenced in the late 19th century and ceased in the late 1980s.  Most of the buildings on the Site were demolished with the gate house and a two-storey main building left in place.  Because of its prior use, the Site is heavily contaminated.
2. The Trustees purchased the Site in 1996.  They proposed the development of a mosque, school, and supporting residential and retail uses.  The Trustees were informed that a temporary change of use would only be considered and approved if supported by a plan for a comprehensive mixed-use development.Various developments have taken place on the Site over the years.  Planning applications were made to the London Borough of Newham for permission to retain various structures on the Site.  The Trustees’ use of the Site was from the very early stages of their ownership and occupation as the planning policies had allocated the Site for a mixed-use development.
3. In 2001, temporary consent had been given to the Trustees for continuing use of the Site for religious purposes.  In April 2003, retrospective temporary approval was granted for the structures on the Site to coincide with the permission given for temporary use.  The temporary permission and approval expired on 1 November 2006.  Planning history indicates that assurances were made objectively  for a master plan application posing genuine mixed used but due to misunderstandings between the council and the Trust representatives no progress was made subsequent to 2006 by the Trustees in providing a master plan for the mixed use of the Site which mixed use could properly include the development of a mosque on the Site.
4. At a meeting on 2 June 2009, the London Borough of Newham advised the Trustees that unless there was meaningful progress of the master plan by the end of that year, the London Borough of Newham would be forced to pursue enforcement action.  On 18 February 2010, the London Borough of Newham issued an enforcement notice to bring to an end the unlawful use and unlawful build development of the Site which had been erected without planning permission.
5. Due to the London Olympics a CPO was issued to block any planning on this site which put the Trust in to a disposition and valuable time was wasted.
6. Newham council then persued an Enforcement in 2010.
7. The enforcement notice was appealed and a public inquiry was held in February 2011.  In May 2011, the planning inspector granted the Trust a further two years conditional planning permission in order to allow the Trustees a further opportunity to deliver a policy-compliant development scheme on the Site.  The Trustees gave a unilateral undertaking (in highly contreversail circumstances)  the Trustee gave that unilateral undertaking with the benefit of leading counsel’s advise and for the purpose of gaining the lost time, namely a further two years’ temporary planning consent.That temporary planning consent expired on 23 May 2013.  Despite the advice and despite obtaining the benefits sought, the Trustees did submit a policy-compliant planning application which then became a further point of contention

On 13 May 2013, an application was made for renewal of the temporary planning permission granted by the inspector on 23 May 2011 for a further period of two years.  The outline permission application dated 12 May 2012 was refused by the London Borough of Newham and the application for renewal of the temporary permission made on 13 May 2013 was not determined within the prescribed time.Both matters were appealed and the Secretary of State covered both appeals for his own determination.  A further report of notice was issued on 23 May 2013 which enforcement notice was appealed and conjoined with the other two appeals and, together, those appeals were heard at a public inquiry in June 2014.

2017 An Emergency Relocation to the Old Markaz as per the guidelines of the Shura was made to safeguard the Westham site and the effort from any illegal or contreversial activity. 

2018 High court demolition order in Febuarary and has since then be subject to litigation on all fronts till date. 

October 2023  High court Judgemnet confirms that the site belongs to the London Tabligh Community. However as its legitamate custodians were not able to present the postiion of the  registered London Trust backed by well over 3000 signatures of its beneficairies  due to a conflict between the legal team representing the Dewsbury Trust and the London team appointed by its Shura and authorised by the Chairperson. The initial decision went against the Dewsbury Trustees due to professional negligence from its legal reps. Three subsequent appeals have been lodged with a hearing scheduled for October 2024. The Tabligh community and its representatives throughtout the 11 London and South England  Zones from luton to Southhampton are now in the process of bringing a clousure to this matter by cooperating with the Attorney General, Charity Comission and the Local authority  and are open to a public inquiry due to the public interest and multi-dimentional failings by regulators and legal professionals. Further updates will be provided insha allah.