A £7.5 million mosque planned for the heart of Balsall Heath is too large, a member of its own congregation has claimed.

Abid Ismail, who attends the KSIMC Shia mosque in Clifton Road, said he likes the current ‘Little House on the Prairie’ type facility they have at present.

He was speaking as the council’s planning committee gave the go ahead to a giant three-storey Mosque on Clifton Road, Balsall Heath.

The congregation has outgrown the existing building on the site and wants to expand - it can attract up to 1,800 people for special festivals.

Resident Abid Ismail said: “This mosque will be devastating for the area. We want to keep the Little House on the Prairie Mosque as it is.”

He said that the planned mosque was simply too large.

"It is like putting a nuclear power station in the middle of Balsall Heath,” he said, adding that its size would create a road safety hazard as well as congestion.

But John Jowitt, speaking on behalf of the mosque, said: “The community has grown. The members have been consulted on how to meet the current and future needs.”

He said the final plan had been developed over many years through discussions with the community and with planning officials and the majority of the congregation were on board.

Planning committee members were impressed with the development, especially as, unlike for many other mosques, a large 350-space car park is being provided.

Coun Mohammed Azim (Lab Sparkbrook) said: “This is a very good development.”

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And Coun Peter Douglas Osborn (Con Weoley) added: “There’s been a mosque here for 40 years and it has come to a point where there is greater demand for its services.”

He said that the committee had always wanted to see larger mosques in commercial and industrial areas with adequate parking spaces and which would not impact on residents.

“This is precisely what we have here,” he added.

Under the plans, the existing single-storey worship hall, known as the Imambara, will be demolished and replaced with a grand three-storey building.

The linked mosque will be remodelled and extended and topped with a hollow gold dome and minaret.

The wider development also includes the demolition of the former Mr Clutch garage and construction of a new community sports hall in its place with facilities for volleyball, badminton, five-a-side football, gym and a café.

KSIMC is also planning to construct a three-storey building fronting Moseley Road, with a ground floor shop and flats above, and a funeral home fronting Clifton Road.

The three-storey school and nursery, which was built in 1838, will be kept although some internal modifications are proposed.