Plans to use the Carnegie library building in Abergavenny have been supported by the town’s Council of Churches at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

The move to call a meeting came after three county councillors and a local resident launched a legal challenge against Monmouthshire County Council in September, which ie being supported by the Christian Legal Centre.

In a statement released on Saturday October 4, in light of the fact that some local churches wished not to comment on the matter, the Executive decided it would continue to support the proposal.

“With regard to the proposal to lease the Carnegie library building in Abergavenny to the local Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association, and in light of the Judicial review taking place into that decision, an extraordinary meeting of Abergavenny and District Churches’ Together (ADCT) was held on Thursday 18th September,” a spokesperson said.

“It was decided to offer continued support from many of the local churches for the proposal, to lease the Carnegie library in Abergavenny to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association.”

The legal challenge was centred around what county councillors Rachel Buckler (Devauden), Louise Brown (Shirenewton) and Simon Howarth (Llanelly Hill), alongside local resident, John Hardwick.

They claim to have seen evidence that the lease for the building was valued at a price of £20,000-£25,000 per annum, which is significantly higher than the £6,000 per year lease that the administration at County Hall wish to award to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association.

If found to be true, those mounting the challenge say it would violate Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972, which requires councils to obtain best value unless specific conditions are met.

Even though the statement released by the Christian Legal Centre cited concerns around “religious impartiality,” the latest development has seen the local religious community publicly stand against that argument.