Plans to introduce eight new flats to an Oxford suburb have prompted concern among the Sikh community who want to secure the best future for their only place of worship in the county.
Applicant Akash Turna would like to turn a commercial site at London Road in Headington into the flats and he insists these would complement existing plans for enlargement and replacement of the Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara.
Building the new flats would involve demolition of an existing two-storey building and construction of a new building of two and three storeys comprising the eight flats - six one-bed and two two-bed - along with private amenity space as well as bicycle and bin storage.
READ MORE: Plan to build 6,000 new homes near Bicester in Oxfordshire
The development is intended to be car-free.
Developers have explained the applicant site is within a Controlled Parking Zone as well as being within 800m of a local supermarket and adjacent to one of the city’s most frequent bus routes.
This comes as Oxford City Council's Planning Review Committee unanimously approved a proposal in October 2020 to demolish and rebuild the Gurdwara next door despite concerns from some senior trustees.
Mr Turna, who is also behind the plans to redevelop the Gurdwara, insists this will not have an impact on the approved plans to enlarge the place of worship.
An applicant planning paper said: "The Oxford Gurdwara is Oxford’s only dedicated place of worship for the city’s Sikh Community and is considered as an important community facility.
"The extant planning approval sought to deliver additional space for community worship and events.
"However the delivery mechanism was likely to prove to complex, which is why the applicant has pursued a scheme which allows the Gurdwara and the proposed residential use to co-exist comfortably.
"Dialogue has already taken place with the Gurdwara Committee to ensure that whilst works are ongoing, the function of the Gurdwara remains unaffected.
"An agreement with the whole Gurdwara community about the precise detail of what facilities would be provided internally and how individual spaces within their enlarged building can be used has been impossible to reach.
"With time now running out to implement the 2021 approval, it is the applicant’s intention to deliver something from the site, an objective which is in no way at odds with the city council’s urgent desire to ensure housing delivery."
The applicant says he met with Trustees of the Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in May 2024 at the applicants’ home address to determine the best way forward.
Help support trusted local news
Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/
As a digital subscriber you will get:
- Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website
- Advert-light access
- Reader rewards
- Full access to our app
About the author
Noor is the Local Democracy Reporter for Oxfordshire who covers political stories from across the county.
She began working as a journalist in Oxford in September 2023 having graduated from the University of Oxford.
Noor was trained at the News Associates journalism school and can be found on X through the handle @NoorJQurashi
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel