Plans to extend a Muslim education centre in High Wycombe into an old takeaway have provisionally been given the green light.

Councillors backed plans submitted by the Muslim Education Centre and Welfare Trust to expand the current religious centre on The Parade into the shop next door at a meeting of Wycombe District Council's planning committee.

However due to concerns the centre would not be big enough to accommodate its growing influx of pupils, councillors agreed the decision would be reviewed in 18 months.

Concerns were also raised about the impact the expansion could have on parking and neighbours - due to increased noise at peak drop off and collection times.

The trust plans to increase the size of its classes by 25 students and offer more children support in religious studies, English, science and mathematics.

Their current building includes classrooms, a bookshop and prayer room, but they also aim to construct an office, staff room, kitchen facilities, disabled toilet facility and extra parking at the back of the property as part of the plans.

Labour councillor Muhammad Abdullah Hashmi hailed the plans, saying: “This centre provides a place for local Muslim children most of whom live in my ward and I therefore am aware of the very good work which has been done to give children a grounding in Islam but more importantly to give them a moral compass and help them to know what is right and what is wrong.

“The supplementary school will help children to reach good attainment levels at school which helps to turn them into good and successful citizens of the future.”

Classes will take place from 4.45pm and 7.35pm from Monday to Friday and between 11am and 1.50pm on weekends.

The shop at the front of the centre will open from 8am to 9pm from Monday to Saturday and 9am to 8pm on Sundays.

Conservative councillor, Clive Harriss, said: “With my professional hat on, I am called every day by the same communities looking for prayer halls, and realistically this is not the most suitable place.

“We are trying to extract something from this building which I don’t think it is going to offer. I think the best way forward would be to put a restriction of one year on the use so we can review it afterwards. It may be then that you find your community has grown and you will need more space.”

A total of seven letters and a petition with 114 signatures were received in objection to the plans however 78 letters of support and a petition with 353 signatures was also received.

Temporary planning permission for 18 months was unanimously backed by councillors.