Plans to convert basement of Trocadero Centre into mosque scrapped following thousands of racist comments

By Owen Sheppard, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to convert the basement of central London’s Trocadero into a mosque have been pulled after thousands of racist comments.

Islamic education charity The Aziz Foundation submitted plans in February to turn two underground floors of the building by Piccadilly Circus into a place of worship for 1,000 people.

Some 8,909 comments were received by Westminster council, with 6,108 writing in support and 2,788 objecting.

Notorious far-right group Britain First organised a petition against the proposals.

The planning application was due to be decided by a committee of councillors later this month.

But the council’s website now shows that it has been labelled as “withdrawn”.

The Aziz Foundation was approached for comment on why it withdrew the application, but there has been no response.

Local politicians have been critical of the high volume of objections that were “racist”.

Labour councillor Hamza Taouzzale previously said: “Some of the comments that I’ve unfortunately had to read through were horrible, they really were.

“They were racist, they weren’t aligned with any of our views.”

Conservative councillor Matthew Green, cabinet member for business and planning, said: “We find these racist, hateful comments utterly repellent and will always move to ensure that they are taken down as quickly as possible.”

He also said some comments had been shared with the Met Police.

The underground floors of the grade II-listed Troacdero were last used as a cinema until 2006.

The Aziz Foundation was founded by Asif Aziz, a businessman and philanthropist who was born in Malawi and grew up in Wandsworth.

Mr Aziz is also the founder and chief executive of real estate firm Criterion Capital, which bought the Trocadero and turned the building’s upper floors into a 700-bed hotel that opened earlier this year.

Pictured top: The Trocadero Centre in Piccadilly Circus