Plumstead temple extension plans cause parking ‘bedlam’

Greenwich Council has approved plans for a conservatory extension to the community centre of a temple in Plumstead.

The place of worship, which is currently being used to host members of the Nepalese community, applied for retrospective planning permission from the authority after building the extension without permission.

The plans have received 11 objections online by residents.

An anonymous neighbour of the temple previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that gatherings at the temple had exacerbated parking in the area.

They said events had become “constant and extremely excessive” since the extension was built and that traffic in the area is now “absolute bedlam”.

They added: “People have to park their cars several streets away, which is an extreme inconvenience.

“We’ve got people blocked out, unable to get to work because of cars parked over their driveways.

“My current car got smashed because someone reversed out of there in a hurry and took a lump out of my car.”

In response, Dashu Pandey, chair of the temple, told the LDRS that the temple hosts the largest Nepalese community in Greenwich.

He also said the community centre is used to help teach members English.

He added: “We go door to door to many local people and they don’t have any problem. But there are a couple of people who are very negative, I don’t understand why.

“They didn’t want us there from the beginning. We want to do something for our community, we want to work with the local people and the council.”

The topic was discussed at a planning meeting for Greenwich Council on April 11.

Labour Councillor Matthew Morrow, representing the Plumstead Common ward, said at the meeting that good progress had been made by the temple on a transport plan for the area.

He said: “There’s always been a lot of good will at the temple wanting to be good neighbours, and I think that now that there is a proper transport plan in place it will be easier to do that.

“Of course, people are worried about not being able to park on their street. I completely understand that, those are thoughtful objections that [the committee] will want to take into account.”

At the meeting, the planning committee agreed to approve retrospective planning permission for the extension to the temple.

Conditions included details for cycle spaces and a car parking management plan being sent to the council within three months.