An Islamic community group in Bradford has been told to wait six months to find out whether it can buy a parcel of derelict land to build an education centre.

Residents packed into City Hall today to hear Bradford Council’s executive choose to uphold recommendations from planners to review the future of the Council-owned site off Thornbury Road, Thornbury.

Council leader, Councillor Kris Hopkins, said he wanted to ensure he made the right decision over the future of the site, despite impassioned submissions from the public gallery.

The Islamic Cultural Educational Association (ICEA) had submitted a petition, containing some 3,850 signatures, calling on the Council to allow it to purchase the whole plot next to its base at the Madni Jamia mosque.

It has wanted to build on the site for three years but the land is also of interest to the Avicenna Medical Practice where bosses have not ruled out relocating there to improve its services.

Shazia Rafiq, an ICEA management committee member, said: “Selling the land to ICEA will benefit the hard-to-reach communities such as the youth and the elderly. It will be user-led to help people affected by forced marriages, mental health, domestic abuse and so much more. We need a decision sooner than six months. We need to have a decision today.”

She said the organisation was struggling to meet the demand of its 6,500 weekly users.

The organisation had invested £4 million already in its existing services without any external funding and was well placed the take forward the proposed new project.

Councillor Imran Hussain (Lab, Toller) said: “What concerns me is why are we sat in this chamber after a number of years going back to the question of what is the best use for this land.

“This really is a unique project.”

But executive members agreed unanimously to give Council officers six months to review options for the future used of the land before committing to any sale.

Coun Hopkins (Con, Worth Valley) called on the review to be concluded quickly and accurately. He said: “I want to make sure we are making the right decision. It’s not right for us to overturn the officer’s recommendations today.”

Speaking afterwards, ICEA’s president Ishaq Rasul said: “The community is absolutely shocked and disappointed that we have not been given the chance to take this forward.”