Asif Aziz, the CEO and founder of property group Criterion Caption has won permission to turn a major London landmark into a mosque.
The 56 year old Billionaire, known as Mr West End will take over the Trocadero in the centre of the capital.
His property company Criterion Caption owns large portions of London’s West End.
Mr Aziz bought the Trocadero itself for more than £220million in 2005.
The Trocadero is between Piccadilly circus and Soho
He had applied to build a 1,000-person capacity mosque but plans were withdrawn because of backlash from residents.
But now Westminster Council has approved a three-storey mosque for 390 worshippers, reports the Mail on Sunday.
Its thought it will be called ‘Piccadilly Prayer Space’ and could be open within months.
A council spokesperson said: “A planning application by the Aziz Foundation to convert a part of the London Trocadero was approved by the council’s planning committee in May 2023.”
The Trocadero, situated between Picadilly circus and Soho, first opened in 1896 as a restaurant – but it closed in 1965.
It reopened in 1984 as an exhibition and entertainment space – with the building sponsored by Sega.
It was downscaled in 2011 before part of the building reopened as a hotel in 2020.
It’s believed he is founding the mosque through his charitable arm, the Aziz Foundation.
They say the mosque will serve Muslims who work in the area, as well as those visiting London as tourists.
Credit; https://www.thesun.co.uk/
