A new dome has been placed on top of one of the Blackburn’s most ambitious mosque projects in recent years.

The dome joins two towering minarets as building work continues on Preston New Road, on the site of the former Westholme Nursery school.

The mosque and community facility is being built by the Issa Foundation a family charity run by the EG Group founders, brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa.

Many larger mosques have distinctive intricate designs on the inside of the dome.

The archways and pillars of the mosque have slowly taken shape around the mosque itself. Once the work on the dome and minarets have been completed work will then take place on making the building completely watertight.

The four-storey high building which stands at the back of the site appears to be complete.

The view from Billinge End Road 

The entrance to the site will be off Preston New Road which is cordoned off with CCTV cameras installed at a location nearby.

The mosque backs on to homes at the top section of Buncer Lane.

The former infant and first school at the site was demolished and plans were revealed for the mosque in December 2020.

Plans for the £5 million scheme were approved in mid-2021 but it is unsure what the cost for the final structures will be.

The plans said applicants the Issa Foundation would pay £30,000 to improve safety at the junction of nearby Preston New Road, Revidge Road and Billinge End Road.

The facility will aim to serve those living around the areas of Revidge, Corporation Park and Beardwood.

It will be the seventh mosque within walking distance of the area to meet demand in the community.

It will also become the second most expensive mosque to be built in the north west behind the Raza Jamia Masjid in Accrington which cost upwards of £8.6m when it opened in 2017.