Plans for a controversial £2million mosque in Fulwood have been approved by Preston City Council subject to traffic issues being resolved.

Members of the council's planning committee voted six to four in favour of the mosque, at a meeting on Monday morning, subject to a section 106 agreement with regards to traffic issues.

This was despite concerns from officers about parking and the size of the building, which will replace an existing mosque in the Watling Street Road conservation area.

The new building is around 40 per cent larger than the exisiting mosque and will only have car parking for 30 vehicles - a figure which is less than half the council's recommendation.

Plans to demolish the existing mosque and proposals to erect a three storey extension to an existing learning centre in the nearby Victoria Road were deferred to planning officers for approval.

The plans to demolish existing annexes at the Victoria Road centre were approved as per the officers' recommendations.

Following the meeting, a spokesman for the Muslim community said he was delighted with the decision.

Rafiq Tailor said: "It goes without saying that we are delighted with the decision and we are committed to working with the planning officers to find a solution to the parking and traffic problems. We are also looking to rebuild any relationships that may have been damaged between ourselves and the local residents."

Some local residents who attended the meeting at Preston town hall said they were shocked by the decision.

One, who did not want to be named, said: "This application should have been decided on actual planning grounds and not the political grounds it clearly was. The problem of parking is one that has been there for some time and it will not go away."