Planning Permission and Initial Funds Raised
Since being granted planning permission, and the subsequent legal agreement with Barnet Council signed on 20 November 2020, Trustees and volunteers involved in the Front Extension have been working hard to take the project to the next stage.
We commenced fundraising during Ramadan 2019 but the COVID-19 pandemic meant that activities had to cease for a while. The masjid was closed during Ramadan 2020 and Ramadan 2021 was too early for us to recommence fundraising.
Progress during 2021 and 2022
During 2021 and 2022 all the relevant professionals were appointed and were tasked with producing a detailed tender pack that could be issued to contractors for quotes. Alhamdulillah this was completed in February 2023 and the pack has now gone out to tender.
Once we have the quotes back prospective contractors will be downselected and interviewed inshaAllah and when a preferred contractor is in place we will know the cost of the project. Indicative figures from our Quantity Surveyor have put the cost in the region of £7.5 million.
In the meantime we need to continue to raise funds to ensure that we have a sufficient amount available to commence works by summer 2023, well before planning permission expires in November 2023.
Professionals Appointed
- Quantity Surveyor, responsible for calculating the costs of materials specified in the design and specification and signing off payments when they are satisfied that milestones have been reached.
- Contract Administrator, finalises contracts with other professionals and the building contractor; and liaises with them to ensure that they deliver their commitments. Also responsible for dispute resolution, should any arise.
- Structural Engineer, responsible for ensuring foundations and pillars are adequately sized, that the steel structure is appropriately sized, that underground drainage is to regulation and overall responsible for structural integrity of the build.
- Architect, responsible for the detailed design, specification and bill of materials required for the entire project, also liaising with Council planning department and Building Control when required.
- Fire Consultant, responsible for ensuring that the building complies with current fire safety regulation, based on the intended use of the building.
- Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, responsible for specifying electrical and mechanical equipment required for the building including air conditioning, heating, plumbing, speakers, etc.
- BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment) consultant, advises on the environmental requirement of the building including, energy efficiency, water efficiency and conservation, environmental quality and thermal modelling and analysis in accordance with the planning conditions.
This group of Professionals together with the IANL Trustees and Volunteers worked together to produce the detailed design pack for the tender stage.
Contractor
Contractors will be shortlisted for interview once bids have been returned and one of them will be selected as the contractor to build the front extension of IANL inshaAllah.
Fundraising
IANL needs to continue to fundraise to ensure that the project can be delivered. We would like to add to the money raised during Ramadan 2019 to enable us to commence works while our planning permission is still in force.
We have certainty that any masjid extension will only occur if and when Allah wills. We do, however, have to do our bit as a community in raising those funds, and hope that any contribution we make towards this extension is counted as ibadah.
Phased Development
IANL does not have the funds to complete this project in one go, so we intend to phase the delivery of the extension. In this way we can spread out the fundraising burden over time and only start each phase when the requisite funds are in place.
The first phase involves underground works such as drainage and foundations as well as raising the front structure in concrete to the first floor. At the end of phase 1 we should be able to take the site back while funds are raised for the following phase. Precise details of future phases will be available when the contractor has been chosen and we will provide more details when this is available, inshaAllah.
This phased approach may ultimately mean more inconvenience for our congregants and possibly increased costs, as costs of materials and labour inevitably escalate with time.
IANL Trustees and volunteers will endeavour to ensure that this inconvenience and costs to our community are minimised inshaAllah. We will need the help and support of all our congregants and community members in helping us to achieve this goal.
Wider Community Engagement
We have already held community engagement events during 2022 and early 2023 to enable congregants and other stakeholders to engage with the Trustees and volunteers engaged on this project. This will continue as the project develops, inshaAllah.
We would all like to belong to a community that enjoins the good and forbids the evil, and that Allah is pleased with. May Allah make us such a community and guide us all to the sirat al mustaqeem.
Donations
If you’d like to donate towards the Front Extension Project please click on the button below
