A FORMER plumbers merchant’s that was earmarked for a religious school could be turned into a place of worship.

The Keighley Tawheed Schools Trust bought the building in William Street, Nelson, eight years ago and wanted to build a secondary school for girls.

Plans for the work were never submitted though and the large stone building has remained empty ever since.

Now the trust has unveiled plans to build a place of worship with religious tuition on the site.

A spokesman for the Keighley Tawheed Schools Trust said: “The property that this application relates to is a large stone built commercial building that was for many years used as a plumbers merchant’s outlet, which moved premises in 2004 leaving the building empty.

“The Keighley Tawheed Schools Trust purchased the building in 2005, which is a charitable organisation that intended to use the building as a five-stream secondary school for girls for which planning permission was granted in 2006.

“Unfortunately, the trust never implemented the scheme and has now changed hands. The new proposal is to renovate and bring back into use the existing building by applying for a change of use to use the derelict and dilapidated former plumbers merchant’s as a place of worship and religious tuition.

“The proposed building is located just outside Nelson town centre and is to be used by the local community.”

On the Charities Commission website the trust’s activities are listed as ‘intends to run a school for the benefit of the Muslim community’.

The site would not include any car parking spaces but would create space for 10 bikes.