Controversial plans to rebuild a South Woodford mosque were again rejected by councillors last night.

The plans to demolish the existing South Woodford Community Centre Mosque in Mulberry Way and build a three-storey building from scratch was rejected at a Redbridge council planning meeting in Sir James Hawkey Hall, in Broomhill Road, Woodford Green yesterday.

Two policemen attended the meeting and accompanied the people from both sides of the argument out afterwards due to reports of threats.

The plans were rejected by four votes to one with one abstention.

The Qu’rani Murkaz Trust (QMT) was hoping to build a ground floor prayer room, a community hall on the first floor and four residential flats on the second floor.

In December 2013 the original application was rejected following more than 300 objections on the grounds of its scale, density, mass and height, and the design was considered not in keeping with the character of the area.

More on this story in this week's Wanstead & Woodford Guardian - out Thursday.