A planning application to expand a home in Weston-super-Mare was met with numerous objections after rumours circulated that the homeowner was “secretly building a mosque.”
Ritesh Raj addressed North Somerset Council’s planning committee, explaining that many objections stemmed from fear, religious assumptions, and misinformation rather than the actual details of the project. Mr. Raj is not constructing a mosque but a four-bedroom house, which includes one room identified on the floorplan as a “prayer lounge.”
He said, “Unfortunately, this issue has been heavily distorted. A social media post falsely claimed I was secretly building a mosque and accused me of bribing planning officers and being part of the planning committee. This post was later deleted but had already been widely copied, printed, and distributed, leading to objections based on unfounded fears and misinformation rather than the actual plans.”
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While some comments on the council’s planning portal echoed the mosque rumours, others expressed legitimate concerns about the extension’s size, the height of a new boundary wall, and possible planning breaches.
An objector’s spokesperson urged the committee to reject the application, highlighting errors and warning that the extension would be “overbearing” to neighbours. He described the proposed flat roof dormer as resembling an “aircraft carrier flight deck” due to its large size.
Planning permission was initially granted in 2024, and construction began but was halted by planning enforcement after it became clear the build did not match the approved plans. The site remains an unfinished building site.
The new application sought part-retrospective approval to reflect the current construction, focusing on minor alterations to windows, the front canopy, and side extension. Because more of the original bungalow had been demolished than planned, a “replacement dwelling” application was required instead of a simple extension.
Mr. Raj emphasized that there was no intention to sidestep planning permissions, attributing changes to decisions made by builders without consulting the architect. “I have taken steps to prevent these mistakes from happening again,” he said.
The planning committee approved the plans by a 7-1 vote, with a condition to lower the existing boundary wall before construction resumes. Committee member Dan Thomas stressed that the religion of future residents is “completely out of scope” for planning decisions.
Reflecting on the outcome, Mr. Raj told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, “It was reassuring that the decision was based on the merits, not on rumours.”