THE final details of long-awaited plans to knock down a Victorian school building and replace it with a new mosque, community centre and evening education facility have been revealed.

Makkah Mosque in Great Lever will be completely rebuilt to meet the “growing” religious, social and educational needs of the community.

The three-storey building will allow the mosque to provide new functions and facilities, according to a statement by David Cox Architects.

It said: “The aim is to continue to provide much improved and essential religious and after-school education on site while also offering community facilities.’

The custom-built facility will have a new prayer hall, ablutions, community rooms and funeral services with a mezzanine, plant rooms and a roof garden on the top floor.

The development was first approved in principle in January 2017 with new parking plans given the green light last year.

In the latest proposal, the prayer hall, dome and minaret are around three metres taller than those previously approved.

This is to accommodate the necessary mechanical equipment while maintaining a floor-to-ceiling height that would not be “too mean”.

This change results in a prayer hall which is approximately 15 metres high with minarets which are nearly 30 metres tall.

The red sandstone-clad building is intended to “sit in harmony” with the surrounding context while linking to historic landmarks in the Asian subcontinent, according to the application.

It said: “This commonality forms a link between the vernacular of Bolton and the historic roots of the community which will predominantly be using the proposed development.”

Traditional granite stone will also be used to break the “homogeneity” of the red sandstone, and the dome will feature zinc cladding.

The project will be phased to allow worshippers to continue using the mosque and so that community fundraising efforts can be staggered.

The planning committee will make a final decision on the latest application later this year.