Shrubland Hall owner in contact with council, revises Ijtema attendance estimate

Why it matters: The three-day religious gathering, scheduled for Friday, 10 to Sunday, 12 July, is due to take place in just over ten weeks. Until this week, no contact had been made between the organisers and the local authorities responsible for licensing, policing and planning.

From Nizamuddin to Barham: The 100,000-person Islamic congregation Suffolk’s authorities know nothing about

The directors of Shrubland Hall, a large estate just outside Ipswich, say they have planned a 100,000-person religious gathering this July with careful attention to every local authority requirement. Every local authority we have spoken to tells Ipswich.co.uk a different story.

Ipswich.co.ukOliver Rouane-Williams

The details: A spokesperson for Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils confirmed to Ipswich.co.uk that the owner of the hall emailed the authority at around 16:20 on Friday, 24 April – shortly after our report was published.

• The owner stated that event organisers expect between 7,000 and 10,000 visitors.
• He has committed to share the required information and documentation with the council "within the coming days."

For context: The UK Ijtema 2026 is being organised by UK registered charity Anjuman-e-Islahul Muslimeen. Promotional material circulating online describes the Shrubland site as "perfectly suited for the gathering, offering vast space for 100k+ attendees and unlimited parking."

In a statement issued earlier this week, the directors of Shrubland Estate said the event had been "planned with careful attention to all relevant local authority requirements, including health and safety, security, traffic management, and regulatory compliance."

However, the council, Suffolk Constabulary, Suffolk Highways and Barham Parish Council all told Ipswich.co.uk this week that no contact had been made with the district's Safety Advisory Group, which brings together the agencies responsible for overseeing large public events.

The bigger picture: Even at the revised estimate, a gathering of 7,000 to 10,000 people would be a significant event for the area. The population of Barham is around 1,600.

The site's current planning permission is for a spa and health centre, which has not been operational for some time. The estate continues to advertise itself as a wedding venue despite not being approved to conduct civil marriages or civil partnerships – Suffolk County Council confirmed this week that no formal application for approval has been submitted to the registrars.

What's next: The council says it is continuing to establish further details about what is planned, working in partnership with other agencies. Documentation from the organisers is expected in the coming days.

Ipswich.co.uk will continue to follow this story. Anyone with information to share, in confidence or on the record, is invited to get in touch.

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