Three Monmouthshire residents have submitted a formal complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, alleging bias over a decision to turn a local library into a mosque.
The local residents allege maladministration, bias, and breach of statutory duty by Monmouthshire County Council (MCC). It relates to the Council’s decision to lease the Grade II listed Carnegie Library in Abergavenny to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association (MMCA) for use as a place of worship.
Residents Dr Louise Brown, Rachel Buckler, and Simon Howarth, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, argue that the Council’s Cabinet acted unlawfully and against the public interest.
The Council agreed a 30‑year lease at just £6,000 per year, despite its own valuations showing the building could command £20,000–£25,000 annually, or be sold for approximately £350,000.
Rachel Buckler (pictured) said, ‘This is not about opposing a faith community. It is about whether Monmouthshire County Council followed the law and acted fairly with public property.
‘The evidence shows that it didn’t. Public assets appear to have been disposed of at a serious undervalue, without proper marketing, independent valuation, or transparency.
‘When residents are denied access to basic financial information, scrutiny becomes impossible. That should concern anyone who believes in good governance.’
Simon Howarth said, ‘The more documentation we examined, the clearer it became that this process was not conducted on a level playing field. One group appears to have had advance knowledge and access that others simply did not.
‘That raises serious questions about when the real decision was made, and whether the tender process was ever genuinely open.’
