Hindu temple finds new home thanks to Swindon Council
- Published
The level of damage to the old facility in September made it unfit for occupation
There is finally a new home for the Hindu temple in Swindon which has been secured in the city centre.
The previous temple in Darby Close had been broken into five times which led to Swindon borough council ending the lease.
The new temple will now reside at the offices at Regent House for the Swindon's Hindu Temple Trust to use.
It is hoped the Trust will be able to move into its new home by June 2022.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the council will lease the surplus building to the Trust for an initial period of seven years to be used as a temple and cultural centre.
'Fantastic news'
A planning application for a change use from offices to a place of worship and community centre will now be submitted.
Councillor Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Finance and Commercialisation, said:
"This is fantastic news and I'm really pleased for everyone associated with the Trust as they can now begin to look to the future."
As well as Regent House, the Trust has negotiated the use of another venue in Wroughton from a private landlord.
Both properties will provide the necessary accommodation and flexibility to support the Trust's temple, cultural and community activities.
The previous temple closed in October last year and in January, councillors supported a motion to continue to support the Trust in its search for new premises.
They also agreed to meet with other Hindu and South Asian faith and community groups who had expressed an interest in finding an alternative community and worship facility.
Since that time, the council has been in regular discussions with the Trust to support it in finding a new home and has helped the Trust in different ways.
The Swindon Hindu Temple Trust has tweeted about the new site.
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A spokesman added: "The vast Hindu community in Swindon has been through a lot recently with the unfortunate loss of the only Hindu Temple & Cultural Centre in the town.
"We are grateful to the Council for all their help and their continued support."
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- Published2 February 2022
