PLANS to create a new mosque and a community skills centre for the town's Pakistani community have been given £75,000 by Redditch Council.

It will go towards the £300,000 needed to buy land in Smallwood but will only be used for 0.75 acres designated for the skills centre.

The mosque will cost £2 million to build and the skills centre £1 million.

Both projects, spearheaded by Redditch Pakistani Community Forum, are due to be completed in the next two years.

Forum secretary Perwaiz Khawaja said the deal to buy the 2.75 acres of land for the mosque and the skills centre would be finalised between four and six weeks.

He said: "We had to raise £300,000 just for the land and the council has agreed to contribute £75,000 for the purchase of the community centre part of the land."

The skills centre, which will be available for all communities, will host weddings, workshops, a crche, an after-school club, a luncheon club for the elderly and a sports hall.

Designs and drawings for the centre are being looked at.

Mr Cartwright said the council would have a freehold on the land and the forum would pay a lease for it.