Ex-Wolverhampton police station to become prayer hall

Staveley House in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, which was sold last year following its closure, is poised to be given a new lease of life.

Some worshippers who use the Central Mosque at the Five Ways Island in Dunstall will move to the former police station.

The takeover will see the former police base in Great Hampton Street brought back to life, with the newly formed community centre also to feature a function room and teaching areas.

The building is a short distance from the Central Mosque and is seen by religious leaders as an ideal location as most worshippers will be able to travel there without difficulty.

Staveley House was one of three police stations in the city that closed last year as part of £8.6 million cuts by West Midlands Police.

It then sold for three times its asking price at auction last May when it was snapped up for £605,000.

A 24-space car park will be provided to serve the community centre.

Leaders have been keen to assure council planners the centre will not cause traffic problems in the area and said up to 20 worshippers would normally be expected to use it, apart from Fridays which they anticipate to be the busiest day.

However, the centre will also be used by teachers and children, with supporting documents stating school lessons would be ‘an important part of the centre’.

Councillor Wendy Thompson, Conservative group leader in the city, said: “It is good they will bring the building back into use. I felt it was a great pity the police station went from that area.

"It was a main police base in a good place as there have been quite a lot of issues."

“It gave good coverage to the west of Wolverhampton but now they have gone to a much more centralised area.”