MUSLIM wedding and funeral services could be held in a bungalow if an Islamic group wins its appeal.

The Jaafriya Islamic Welfare Centre has been holding religious ceremonies, attended by up to 150 people, at the small home it owns in Fairfax Drive, Westcliff.

These gatherings have been going on since 2010, despite the group having no planning permission. However, now it has emerged the registered charity hopes to hold major family events there such as Shia Muslim wedding and funeral ceremonies.

It also hopes to have an Islamic lending library at the bungalow - and introduce strict Shia Islamic laws at the premises.

Yet the centre was ordered to stop using the bungalow for worship and teaching children about Islam and knock down an illegal extension by February.

However, with the appeal to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate pending, Southend Council is unable to enforce this and no date has yet been set for the hearing due to a backlog.

Residents fear if big ceremonies are allowed it could bring even more people to the home leading to even more problems with parking, traffic, litter and noise.

Ron Frood, 63, who lives just a few doors away, has complained about noise and litter. He said: “If they want to use it for weddings or funerals it needs a better location like on an industrial estate, not in a quiet residential area. “I wouldn’t be allowed to put up an extension without planning and start using my home for something else.”

The council’s evidence to the appeal said residents were interviewed who claimed up to 150 people regularly attended with cars blocking the road, loud voices into the early hours, children playing near the road and bags of food rubbish dumped outside the building.

Independent Westborough ward councillor Martin Terry said: “I had no idea they were planning weddings and funerals which would bring even more disruption.

There are more suitable premises around the town that could be used and I have made residents’ views clear to the appeal.” No-one answered when the Echo knocked at the Bungalow. We also contacted Nasser Hussain, 56, of Prince Avenue, who runs the centre, but he would not comment.