PLANS to convert a former vicarage to an Islamic education centre have passed.

The six-bedroom detached house neighbouring St Philips Church in Bridgeman Street will be used by a neighbouring mosque.

Al-Jamia Darul Quran Islamic Welfare Centre will run its evening and weekend teaching programme from the site.

The plans would give a "new lease of life" to the vacant building which has been boarded up for more than a decade, according to the mosque.

It would provide a better learning environment with extra space, the application said.

Fahad Patel who submitted the application on behalf of the mosque said the move is a response to the demands of the growing community.

He said: "Right now, there's no need for it but in the future there could be. So they are just preparing themselves for the future."

The planning permission allows most of the habitable rooms to be converted to nine rooms, six toilets and a ground floor office room.

According to the application, the character and appearance of the building would remain the same.

It said: "The aim is to create minimal disturbance to the property internally, renovating it to the current building regulation specification whilst not making any changes externally. This would mean the character and appearance of the building would remain the same."

Two years ago, the property was sold at an auction for nearly three times its asking price.

It sold for £231,000 when it went under the hammer at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester despite having no floorboards and requiring a complete renovation.

Property auctioneers, Auction House, warned that potential owners would not be able to have a look inside because the floorboards have been removed.

They added: “The property offers extensive accommodation but has suffered significant vandalism to the interior including the removal of wiring and pipes making the property ideal for a professional refurbishment."

The Al-Jamia Darul mosque also owns the hall next door to the property which is known as "The Melting Pot".

The neighbouring venue is used as a community function hall and is used by the wider community as well.

It can be used for weddings, meetings or other community activities.

The hall and St Philips Church, which is located on the other side of the property, would not be impacted by the plans.