Up to 390 worshippers could soon flock to London’s famous Trocadero for Friday prayers after permission was given for a mosque to be built there.
The former Metro cinema, shut since 2006, inside the famous Piccadilly Circus landmark will be turned into a mosque and community centre under plans by billionaire entrepreneur Asif Aziz.
According to plans approved by Westminster City Council, the three-storey place of worship on Rupert Street will host prayers, “interfaith meetings” and “LGBTQ+ talks” among other weekly activities.
Mr Aziz, 56, is the chief executive of Criterion Capital, which manages a £2bn property portfolio across the West End and the south-east.
He purchased the landmark in 2005, which was once home to the London Pavilion Theatre and SegaWorld.
Under the approved plans, a main community hall and prayer space at lower basement level for 250 worshippers will be constructed inside the complex, alongside a mezzanine floor at upper basement level for 140 worshippers.
The upper floors of the building already house a 740-bedroom hotel with a rooftop bar.
The mosque will open from 10pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday, and will see the entrance at 19 Rupert Street overhauled with art nouveau signage.
In a submission to the council, the Aziz Foundation said: “The centre’s capacity of 390 people will enable us to provide a safe, accessible community asset in the heart of Westminster which is vital to ease overcrowding in neighbouring Mosques and meet both existing and future demand.”
The plans were approved by Westminster City Council officers in June. A construction date was not given.
Previous plans submitted to the council in 2020 for a space for 1,000 worshippers were pulled after being hit with a high volume of “racist, hateful” comments in opposition. Far-right group Britain First had organised a petition opposing it.
Some residents had also opposed it on the grounds that a place of worship would conflict with the West End’s character as a hub for entertainment and tourism.
However, Westminster City officials said that there were already “numerous places of worship of different faiths and denominations in Soho” including St James’s Church on Piccadilly.
