You have until Tuesday to get views on Milton Keynes temple plan to the council

Planning officers changed their minds and recommended deferring the decision on the new Hindu temple, in St Agnes Way, until the next meeting of Milton Keynes Council’s development control committee on November 5.

But supporters and opponents only have until Tuesday, October 13 to get their views in to the planning department.

At yesterday’s (Thursday) meeting, the committee rejected the arguments of planning agent Janet Long, who said new items introduced for consideration were purely technical.

Planning officers had recommended approval for the scheme, but and she said the change of heart came through at a “very late stage.”

She said information regarding a “minor design change” and drainage issues were unlikely to be affected by non-expert comments.

The application has been known about for some time and she called for a decision to be made to remove uncertainty for the applicants and the local residents.

There have been objections to perceived parking problems in the area and the use of shipping containers.

But in her submission to the committee the agent for applicants SHITAL said: “Rather than being an incongruous and unsightly feature, the new building will

provide an interesting and exciting addition to this part of Milton Keynes.”

But for two Tattenhoe councillors serving on the committee the issue was so important that they gave up their votes to speak against.

Committee chairman Cllr Anthony Brown (Lab) stood down from the chair, and Cllr James Lancaster (Cons) said it was a matter of democracy.

Residents had not been informed in time of changes, he said, and they had to look through 25 pages of documents.

“It will be a failure of democracy if this is not deferred,” he said.

The application is available for comment on the Milton Keynes Council planning website.