A mosque which had built an extension without permission has agreed to cover the walls with stone rather than render.

The mosque, at the former Royal Hotel in Fagley Road, Bradford, was granted permission to become a place of worship last June, but some changes have been made without planners’ consent.

These include a rear extension built with a rendered finish and a radio antenna on the roof used to broadcast prayers.

Enforcement action began and in order to gain consent the mosque has now agreed to change the finish on the rear extension to stone and remove some unauthorised roller shutters.

This was approved at a meeting of the Bradford Area Planning Panel, which said all work must be finished within six months. The antenna was given permission.

The meeting also heard that residents were concerned about the number of cars parking nearby, especially during Friday prayers.

Panel members heard that the mosque had paid money to the Council, through a section 106 agreement, for double yellow lines to be painted on the road nearby but the Council had not yet carried out the work.

Riaz Ahmed, speaking in support of the application, said the mosque was hoping this could be done soon, as the parking problem had already been pointed out to worshippers “not on one occasion, but on many occasions”.

He also said some of the changes made without consent had happened before applicant Raja Sajid had taken on the building.

Speaking outside the meeting, Mr Ahmed said: “I think we have come up with a compromise which addresses some of the issues around parking, which should be alleviated after the Council has carried out the traffic regulation orders which are well overdue.”

He said if people in the area had any further problems, the mosque’s doors were open for discussions.