A BUILDING formerly used as an auction house and chapel in Taunton could be converted into a new mosque.

Taunton Mosque and Islamic Centre has submitted a planning application seeking Somerset Council's permission to convert the Octagon Chapel at 120 East Reach into a mosque and Islamic centre.

The building went up for sale with a price tag of £300,000 in February, previously used as a location to sell antiques after being converted by Greenslade Taylor Hunt in 2013.

The applicant hopes the planned conversion will help to 'serve the needs of the local Muslim community'.

No external or internal alterations are planned for the Octagon Chapel, other than the removal of existing Greenslade Taylor Hunt signage.

If plans are approved, the existing Taunton Mosque located at 2 Tower Lane, will no longer be used.

For more information on the plans, search reference number 38/24/0151 on Somerset Council's online planning portal.

Public consultation is open, and comments are welcomed until Thursday, May 30 - a target decision date of Sunday, July 7, has been set by the council.