The Charity Commission has used a rarely used power to merge two charities linked to a mosque in Dudley that have been involved in a long running dispute.

The regulator has applied its powers under section 79 (2) of the 2011 Charities Act to merge unregistered charity Muslim Community Centre and Mosque 1977, with Dudley Central Mosque and Muslim Community Centre.

Using this power “is extremely rare” and is only done “in the most complex of cases”, said the Commission, which added the move had been taken “to resolve confusion around which charity is responsible for the mosque and its day-to-day management”.

This power has not been used to merge charities for more than 20 years, said the regulator.

An inquiry into Dudley Central Mosque and Muslim Community Centre was launched four years ago amid concerns around “a repeated failure to meet its accounting requirements” despite previous engagement with the regulator.

Meanwhile, a separate enquiry into Muslim Community Centre and Mosque 1977 was launched last year over concerns a dispute over the running of the mosque between the two organisations “posed a risk to charity property”.

Both charities had “complicated structures” which exacerbated the dispute and the regulator has set out how Dudley Central Mosque and Muslim Community Centre must hold elections for trustees of the newly merged charity “offering a transparent way for members of the community to be involved in the charity moving forward”.

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