Olof Palmelaan Mosque
From the Zoetermeer Muslim community there is a need for an Islamic cultural center/mosque on the east side of Zoetermeer. The initiator for the construction of a mosque is the Stichting Islamitisch Centrum Zoetermeer (ICZ). In 2014, the sales agreement for a piece of land on Olof Palmelaan, next to the fire department, was signed by ICZ and the board of mayor and aldermen.
Status January 2025
ICZ's contractor, Masjid Bouw Groep, started construction in December 2022. The building is scheduled for completion in 2025. Local residents received a letter about the construction in November 2022 and October 2023. You can find this at the bottom of the documents. Do you have any questions or comments about the work? Please contact the contractor via info@masjidbouw.nl .
For visitors to the Islamic centre, parking spaces will be created in the grass verge along the Praxis in February 2025. The surrounding businesses have received a letter about this.
Design mosque
In April 2018, ICZ presented the design of the mosque to local residents. There was also attention for topics such as parking, the design of the public area and the procedure for changing the zoning plan. These topics are explained in more detail below in the frequently asked questions. Read the report of the meeting here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who will build the mosque?
The initiator for the construction of a new mosque in Zoetermeer is Stichting Islamic Centrum Zoetermeer, abbreviated ICZ. For more information about ICZ, please visit the website www.stichtingicz.nl .
What kind of organization is ICZ?
ICZ is a foundation established by Islamic residents of Zoetermeer. ICZ organizes religious, educational, social and cultural activities for the Muslims of Zoetermeer, but is also open to dissenters and non-believers. ICZ has no ties to extremist parties and also actively distances itself from extremist ideas.
Where exactly will the mosque be located?
The mosque will be built on Olof Palmelaan in Oosterheem, on the piece of land on the corner next to the fire department, see the map.
Why is a mosque being built at this location?
ICZ has indicated to the municipality the need for an additional place of worship in one of Zoetermeer's eastern neighborhoods. There is already a mosque on the west side of Zoetermeer in Meerzicht. Following ICZ's request, the municipality has investigated which locations on the east side of Zoetermeer are suitable for the construction of a mosque. The plot of land on the Olof Palmelaan emerged as a possible suitable location because it is on the edge of a residential area, which means there is enough space to build the mosque. In addition, there is room to create sufficient parking spaces for visitors to the mosque. There is also sufficient parking available on Olof Palmelaan (in the grass verge of the Praxis) for visitors during crowded gatherings such as Ramadan.
What will the mosque look like?
ICZ has chosen a modern contemporary designed Dutch building that suits modern times and Zoetermeer itself. They deliberately chose a building with no minaret and no call to prayer. Read the architect's explanation of the design here.
Who is the mosque intended for?
The mosque is primarily intended for Muslims from the Oosterheem, Seghwaert and Palenstein neighborhoods. But ICZ also aims to create a meeting place where Muslims and non-Muslims from all over Zoetermeer can meet.
When will the mosque be built?
Construction of the mosque will start in December 2022. Completion is scheduled for 2025.
Where is ICZ currently located?
ICZ now rents a space in the multifunctional building at fixed times during the week Zanzibarplein and a space on Hodenpijlstraat in Oosterheem.
Why is the municipality cooperating in the plan for a new mosque in Zoetermeer?
The Zoetermeer Muslim community currently has too little prayer space, especially in the Oosterheem, Seghwaert and Palenstein districts. Every religious community has the right to a place in the city and is therefore free to apply for a permit from the municipality to build a prayer space.
How many Muslims are there in Oosterheem?
It is not known exactly how many Muslims live in Oosterheem. This kind of data is not registered anywhere. ICZ does indicate that there are enough Muslims living in the Oosterheem, Seghwaert and Palenstein districts together to want to build an extra mosque. The mosque to be built offers space for a maximum of 200 people.
There are 200 prayer places in the mosque, are they filled every Friday?
No, ICZ certainly does not expect 200 people during the prayer services on a 'normal' Friday. The 200 prayer places are mainly realized to offer space to believers during the special Islamic holidays.
What exactly will happen in the mosque?
ICZ wants to build a multifunctional centre. There will be a prayer room (the actual mosque), where Muslims can attend Islamic prayer services. In addition, there will be rooms where ICZ wants to offer activities such as homework support, language and integration courses and meetings on themes such as safety, citizenship and health.
Can I object to the arrival of the mosque?
That possibility is no longer there. On April 20, 2020, the city council made a decision on the zoning plan. Subsequently, the board of mayor and aldermengranted the environmental permit to ICZ and issued the Olof Palmelaan traffic decree. A direct appeal to the Administrative Law Division of the Council of State was possible for these three decisions. Several local residents took advantage of this. The Council of State ruled on September 15, 2021 and declared the appeal unfounded.
Will there be enough parking spaces?
Yes, parking spaces will be created on the mosque's own grounds and on an adjacent site. The number of parking spaces that will be created is also required according to the municipal parking policy. In order to accommodate the crowds during special moments and Islamic holidays, (overflow) parking spaces will also be created on grass concrete tiles in the grass verge near the Praxis. The highest parking standard for religious buildings from the Parking Standards and Implementation Rules Note 2012 will be used for parking. This parking standard corresponds to the highest parking standard advised by the national knowledge institute CROW based on experience figures elsewhere. See also the drawing parking mosque .
How are you going to solve parking if 200 visitors come?
As for all initiatives in Zoetermeer, the current parking policy also applies here. This also includes specific standards for a house of worship. The 'high standard' is used here.
Adequate parking will be provided for regular visitors at the mosque. If there are more visitors, this may be an issue on special occasions and holidays, such as during Ramadan. Sufficient public parking will soon be available on Olof Palmelaan to meet the parking needs at those (peak) times by the municipality installing parking spaces on grass concrete tiles on the green verge near Praxis. The previously presented solution for public parking spaces on Galvanistraat (Dwarstocht) has thus been dropped.
Are trees being cut down?
Yes, in order to execute the construction plan and create parking spaces, it is necessary to cut down some trees. See the drawing of trees to be cut down . Based on the current design, trees will also be replanted.
The mosque was supposed to be located at Roggeakker in Seghwaert, wasn't it?
That was indeed the case. In 2012, ICZ bought a piece of land from the municipality at the Roggeakker to build a mosque. However, due to the zoning plan, ICZ could not build the building that ICZ wanted at that time. That is why a possible new location was sought together with the municipality. When ICZ received the land at the Olof Palmelaan in 2022, the municipality bought back the land at the Roggeakker.
The most frequently asked questions about the Roggeakker location that were previously on the website are no longer applicable. These questions have therefore been removed from the website.
What has happened since 2013?
The board of mayor and aldermen has been talking with ICZ in 2013 about the possibility of building a mosque on Olof Palmelaan in Oosterheem, on the piece of land on the corner next to the fire department. On Nov. 22, 2013, the board made ICZ a final offer to sell this land. ICZ indicated on January 31, 2014 that it wished to accept this offer. On March 18, 2014, the land sale agreement was signed by ICZ and the board of mayor and aldermen. The board also bought back the land previously sold to ICZ on the Roggeakker. On May 28, 2019, the board agreed to a2nd extension of the purchase agreement between ICZ and the board until June 1, 2021. ICZ submitted an environmental permit application to the municipality on August 21, 2018. On December 4, 2018, the board decided to start the spatial procedure.
This resulted in an amended zoning plan in April 2020, an environmental permit granted to Stichting Islamitisch Centrum Zoetermeer (ICZ) and a traffic decision for the Olof Palmelaan with the possibility of appealing against these decisions to the Council of State. The spatial procedure was completed on 15 September 2021 after a ruling by the Council of State in which the appeal against these decisions was declared unfounded.
What does the municipality do to inform me?
The municipality attaches great importance to careful communication with the environment. That is why the municipality immediately informed interested parties by letter when the location Olof Palmelaan came into the picture as a possible location for the mosque. As soon as there are new developments, we will immediately inform interested parties about this again by letter. Other interested parties can read the information on this website, www.zoetermeer.nl/moskee .
If you have any questions or suggestions, we invite you to contact us. You can do so in the following ways:
- via the contact form
- via the postal address: Municipality of Zoetermeer , PO Box 15, 2700 AA Zoetermeer
- via the general telephone number of the municipality: 14 079
- via the email address projectenpmv@zoetermeer.nl