Telford Sikh temple's new nursery plan is approved
A Sikh temple has been given permission to use a part of its site as a children’s nursery.
Telford Gurdwara (Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Gurdwara) off Priorslee roundabout is continuing its effort to ‘maximise its benefits’ for the community.
It already has permission to build a games area and a children’s playground and it is looking to hold more weddings. A plan to hold weddings for up to 881 guests was recently rejected as officials asked for a detailed traffic management plan.
Planners at Telford & Wrekin Council said that the Abbey House site has 109 car parking spaces while the applicant estimates that the nursery element would create 40 trips per day.
Officials consider the impact on the highway network of 40 trips per day would be “negligible”.
The applicant’s assessment said that the opening hours of the nursery would not coincide with any event taking place at the gurdwara. It is in an ‘under-utilised’ part of the building, they add.
Planners have set a condition that the Siri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Gurdwara charity must develop the outdoor children’s play area first to provide outdoor amenity space.
The nursery will operate from 7am to 7pm in order to “protect residential amenity”. It will be “ open to the general public as well as existing members of the congregation/Sikh community”.
Council planners said: “It is understood that the area in question is currently only occupied during ceremonies or events at the site, providing space for the marriage registry and areas for religious learning.
“However, during the weekdays this space is not required for these purposes.”
Planning agent Richard Jewkes of Simpatico Town Planning Limited had told the council that the proposal has been conceived with the aim of further improving the facilities on offer at the site, and extending the contribution which the gurdwara, and its numerous volunteers, already make to the local community.
At weekends the plan is to use it as a creche where children will be “looked after and learn about the Sikh faith, its history and its teachings while their parents go to worship” or attend ceremonies in the main gurdwara.
