The owners of a house in Shipley that is also used as a Muslim girls’ school are trying again to have it legally recognised.

Despite claiming to have run classes for Islamic girls from the house since the 1980s, Mrs A Sahibzada has never gained planning permission for using the building, on Bankfield Drive, Nab Wood, as a educational centre. The educational use only raised complaints when a new garage was built, leading to the number of girls rising from six to 20 and an increase in traffic on the road. Mrs Sahibzada argued that there was evidence the house had been used for educational purposes for over ten years – taking it beyond the time limit at which the council could take action.

But Bradford Council refused to grant a certificate of lawfulness, saying the use of the garage and the increase in the number of pupils was much more recent.

Now she has applied for a certificate of lawfulness for the main house, which would allow the continuation of classes.