Members of a town centre mosque have urged their council to re-think its regeneration scheme and the impact it is having on parking for worshippers.

Harrow Central Mosque, in Station Road, handed a petition with some 2,000 signatures at a full Harrow Council meeting yesterday.

It is particularly concerned with the Poet’s Corner development, near Harrow Civic Centre, which is part of the council’s ‘Building a Better Harrow’ programme.

This project, which will include a redesign of the current civic centre once council offices move to Wealdstone, will provide community facilities and hundreds of homes.

But the mosque is worried that this will have a serious impact on parking for those wishing to visit it.

It pointed out that parking is already strained at busy times such as during Ramadan and urged the council to guarantee sufficient spaces if the development goes ahead.

“We have had a lot of calls for some sort of a solution and, if things are not resolved, I fear there will be a big backlash from residents,” a spokesman for the mosque said.

“Night worshippers will have to try and park on nearby streets, and our requests have been backed by local residents and businesses.”

The petition was supported by Cllr Stephen Greek, who said the situation perfectly encapsulated the council’s desire to redevelop without thinking everything through.

“I have a lot of sympathy here and it goes to the heart of the council’s so-called regeneration programme,” he said.

“Time after time, we get schemes brought forward with little to no parking. In some cases, it’s been a complete failure in terms of planning and communication.

“This will not be regeneration, it will be degeneration. This is something that must be sorted out as soon as possible.”

The council did not comment on the specifics of the Poet’s Corner development, but Cllr Keith Ferry, responsible for planning, assured the mosque that it “will try to accommodate as much as possible”.

He explained that officers had held meetings with the management team and informed it of the council’s intentions.

And he referenced the Mayor of London’s aim to use “as much sustainable transport as possible” and reduce the number of cars on the road.

He therefore encouraged worshippers to consider other forms of travelling such as on public transport or through car sharing.