Newsteer was appointed in 2025 to unlock the long term redevelopment of the Abbey Mills Mosque site after several unsuccessful planning attempts, including a Secretary of State call in. Acting as a trusted adviser and an extension of the client team, Newsteer has provided strategic planning and viability advice while supporting a route to deliver both a replacement faith based facility and housing.
The client’s challenge
The client had owned the site since 1996 with the aim of delivering a major replacement faith based facility, but confidence in the planning system had been stretched by previous unsuccessful attempts. The emerging Local Plan allocation required a mixed use development including community uses and housing, while the client’s priority remained a replacement facility serving a congregation of more than 5,000 local worshippers.
Our solution
Newsteer established the brief, timetable, process and potential cost exposure, explaining why promotion through the Local Plan was required rather than a further standalone planning application. The team led client and congregation briefings, represented the client at six Local Plan Examination sessions and coordinated architecture, urban design and transport advisers. Newsteer’s agency team was also instructed to market the site so that housing delivery could help facilitate construction of the faith based use.
Beyond advice: how we added value
Without a development or project manager in place, Newsteer became an extension of the client team. Senior director access, transparent advice and participation in public forums helped the client and congregation engage confidently with the technical process while keeping the replacement faith based facility central to the emerging masterplan.
Outcomes and impact
The Inspector agreed, and the Council accepted, that capping the size of the replacement faith based building was not positive planning and conflicted with evidence of need. The Council also accepted that the indicative residential capacity did not reflect the changing area, almost doubling the physical development capacity and introducing a new 100-metre building zone. Newsteer’s advisory role continues to help ensure that any purchaser retains early delivery of the replacement facility as a masterplan requirement.
