Plans at centre of false mosque claim passed

A MAN'S planning application to expand his Weston-super-Mare home was flooded with objections after rumours spread that he was “secretly building a mosque”.

- JOHN WIMPERIS Local Democracy Reporter

Ritesh Raj, inset, told North Somerset Council's planning committee that people had objected based on fear and assumptions about his religion to his planning application to replace the bungalow at 101 Ebdon Road with a larger home. Mr Raj is not building a mosque, but a four-bed-room home with one room labelled on a floorplan submitted with the application as a “prayer lounge.”

He told councillors: “Unfortunately, this issue has become heavily destroyed. A social media post suggested that I was secretly building a mosque - and alleged that I bribed planning officers and was part of the planning committee - and encouraged people to object.