IT was standing-room only as a controversial plan to build a new education centre went before a planning panel.

The application, for a three-storey building on a patch of derelict land off Parkside Road, Bradford, was refused by the Bradford Area Planning Panel today.

The plan had divided the community, with large petitions being gathered both for and against it.

Councillor Nasreen Khan, of Bradford Trident Community Council, spoke in favour of the plan.

She said she was speaking not just in her official capacity, but also as a local resident and on behalf of the applicant, Amir Raja.

Cllr Khan said the community was "crying out" for such a facility.

She said: "The existing centre is full to capacity and has a waiting list of approximately 60 children, mainly boys, with no facility for young girls and women at this time."

Cllr Khan addressed rumours that the application was an attempt to open a mosque by the back door.

She said: "The education centre would be run by the community, for the community, for people of all backgrounds and religions to benefit from."

And she criticised the "scaremongering" from some in the community, saying it amounted to racial hatred and was "very sad to witness".

Speaking of behalf of objectors, Zamir Akhtar said the over-capacity education centre referred to by Cllr Khan was in fact a madressah that also provided facilities for Friday prayers.

He said: "That's what we fear this new centre is going to be - an addendum madressah to the existing one."

Mr Akhtar said he was very concerned what this would mean for the local road network.

He said: "There's absolutely no traffic space, no parking space for any vehicle."

The panel visited the site before making a decision.

Councillor Shabir Hussain (Lab, Manningham) said many Council-owned facilities were having to close down because of budget constraints, and here was someone willing to put their own money into an education.

He said: "I think we should thank them."

But Councillor Michelle Swallow (Lab, Clayton and Fairweather Green) said: "I'm really concerned about the volume of cars. It's a very residential area."

The plan was refused, but the decision may not be the end of the matter.

After the meeting, the applicant's agent, Rashid Moghul, said it was likely that the plans would be adjusted and then submitted again.