AN application has been submitted to change the use of a building in the heart of Grays from an Islamic school into a place of worship.

The submission has been made to Thurrock Council by the Taleem Institute which currently operates the building on Clarence Road as an evening and weekend school for Islamic study and Arabic learning.

The three storey building at 21 to 23 Clarence Road was given consent in 1993 and became part of the Job Centre before being put to commercial use as a training and educational centre for the Go Training Company as offices. in 2014 until it closed in 2020 because of the impact of the covid pandemic.

An application to turn the building into four new homes was rejected in 2021 and the planning inspectorate backed that decision.

Mayor Cllr Sue Shinnick opened the learning centre.

When the building reopened, again as a training and education centre, later in 2021 it was run by the Taleem Foundation as a school and was officially opened by then mayor Cllr Sue Shinnick.

Now the Foundation has applied to change the building's planning designation and allow it to become a place of worship and a non-residential institution.

The full application and the opportunity to comment can be found via this link.