Plans to expand a High Wycombe mosque were given the green light by councillors last week despite residents' concerns over parking and increased noise pollution.

Wycombe District Council’s (WDC) planning committee backed proposals to "rearrange" and extend Townfield House in Totteridge Road into the ground floor shop.

Two prayer rooms, which may also be used as classrooms, will be created on the ground floor and a new kitchen, library and office will be built on the first floor.

Resident Doris Zajre criticised the “vague and misleading” application for a lack of adequate parking and said a high number of locals have objected to the proposals.

Plans to create an extension of the Townfield House mosque on the site of the Iron Duke pub, in Duke Street, were thrown out by the council in 2014 due to a lack of additional parking.

Speaking at the WDC planning committee meeting on June 28, Mrs Zajre said: “That application in 2011 [Duke Iron pub] and the subsequent appeal in 2014 was solidly rejected on the grounds that it failed to provide adequate parking for current usage, additional children and event traffic not addressed, disturbance to neighbouring residents, and reasonable indiscriminate displays of parking - creating blockages and hazards to traffic flow and pedestrians and safety.

“The potential for noise pollution for additional traffic and attendees, traffic chaos and safety issues is limitless and the resident’s right to expect a reasonable level of peace and quiet at weekends and evenings is obliterated.”

Representative from MSC Planning, Martin Crook, confirmed the building will only be extended by eight square metres and insisted the number attendees would not increase as some worshippers have now moved to the new mosque in Micklefield.

He added the Wycombe Mosque Committee has recently launched a parking marshal system at Townfield House to crack down on dangerous parking and driving following complaints from members of the public.

He said: “It is a reorganisation of space, rather than new facilities that was the case in the Iron Duke. The use of the ground floor improves accessibility for disabled and less mobile…

“Given the increase of space of eight square metres there is very little extra demand attributable form this extra space and the use of the space is going to be controlled.

“It is not true attendees to the mosque will increase, as the opening of the mosque in Micklefield will reduce the numbers here as those closer to Micklefield will attend there.”

Student classes are expected to run from 4.45pm to 6.45pm on weekdays when parents are encouraged to use either the Duke Street car park, or on-street parking for drop-offs and collections.