Councillors backed the Church Lane temple plan in Edmonton by seven votes to one. The 100-person cap stays, and a flood objection is left to conditions.

Enfield’s Planning Committee has approved the redevelopment of the Hindu temple at 59 to 71 Church Lane in Edmonton. The vote was seven in favour and one against, with no abstentions.

The decision was taken on Tuesday 15 September. The council published the minutes on Monday 28 September. (Enfield Council, Planning Committee minutes)

The application, ref 21/00763/FUL, was filed in 2021. We set out the scheme in full before the meeting.

What was approved

Permission is not issued yet. The committee authorised the Director of Planning and Growth to grant it once two things are done:

  • the conditions are given their final wording, under delegated authority
  • a Section 106 legal agreement is completed

The Section 106 agreement carries a £15,000 sustainable transport contribution, covering travel plans and a monitoring fee, according to the officer report.

The scheme itself includes:

  • a Rajagopuram, the decorated temple gateway, on the Church Lane frontage
  • a conservatory, a glass shelter and a store for the festival chariot
  • a community hall on the ground floor of 71 Church Lane
  • the demolition of 34 Latymer Road for a new access road and a 14-space car park, two of the spaces for disabled drivers
  • 36 Latymer Road converted into two flats

The report lists 27 conditions. They include a Temple Management Plan, a Chariot Festival Management Plan, set hours of operation and a limit on visitor numbers.

Who spoke, and who could not vote

The minutes record three speakers against and for:

  • a resident’s deputation against the plan, read out by another resident
  • Councillor Bedekova, a Haselbury ward councillor, against the plan
  • a representative of the applicant and a devotee of the temple, in support

Councillor Bedekova had registered to speak. The minutes record that she would leave the room afterwards and take no part in the vote.

Councillor George Savva, who called the application in to committee, sent apologies. His substitute, Councillor Alev Cazimoglu, declared a non-pecuniary interest. She said she may have made representations on the application for residents in the past. The legal adviser said she could stay, but could not debate or vote on it.

The four questions councillors asked

Parking. Officers said the parking survey was done on a neutral day, as guidance requires. They said the 100-person cap means demand should not rise, that car ownership in the area is low, and that there are enough spaces within a 200 metre walk.

The survey was carried out on Thursday 30 October 2025, the report says. It found parking stress of 60% in the morning, 63% in the evening and 68% at midnight. That left 215, 200 and 171 vacant spaces respectively. Officers treat anything below 85% as spare capacity.

Bar chart of vacant on-street parking spaces around the Church Lane temple site on Thursday 30 October 2025: 215 in the morning survey between 08:15 and 10:15, 200 in the evening survey between 18:00 and 20:00, and 171 at midnight.
The survey behind the parking answer. Officers described the survey date as a neutral day. Chart by Enfield Today.
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Past compliance. Members raised the site’s record. Officers replied that limits on attendance and timings already exist, and that new conditions such as the management plan “would give the council more control” over how the temple operates. The report confirms some works have already been built and are the subject of an enforcement investigation, ref ENF/25/0478.

The footpath. The path from the new car park to the temple is 1.2 metres wide on the plans. The report says the minimum is 1.5 metres. Officers told the committee they will require a revised layout by condition.

Flooding. The site is in Flood Zone 2. The lead local flood authority objected because the flood risk assessment covers only the new parking area. Officers said the car park was the key new element, and that they were confident the rest could be dealt with by condition. The report calls for a drainage strategy covering the whole development.

Officers also corrected their own report at the meeting. The location plan was wrong, because it should have included 34 and 36 Latymer Road. Figure 9 was also incorrect and members were told to disregard it.

What stays the same

  • no more than 100 people on site at any one time
  • the annual Chariot Festival can exceed that only under a management plan the council has approved
  • the temple closes at 9pm, an hour earlier than the 10pm allowed by its 2014 permission

The council consulted 392 neighbouring properties. It received a petition of 213 signatures and 43 letters in support, and 47 objections.

Also approved: a councillor’s extension

The committee approved a rear and side extension at 74 Houndsden Road, Grange Park, ref 26/01120/HOU, by nine votes to none. The property belongs to Councillor Cazimoglu, who left the room for the item.

What it means for you

  • No permission has been issued yet. The decision notice follows the Section 106 agreement. Once it is issued, work must begin within three years, under the first condition.
  • Neighbours on Latymer Road should expect the demolition of number 34 and a new vehicle entrance. A demolition and construction management plan is one of the conditions.
  • If the temple breaches its conditions, report it to the council’s planning enforcement team. The 100-person cap and the hours are the conditions to quote.
  • Parking nearby is covered on our parking in Enfield page, and other decisions on our Enfield planning news page.
  • The next Planning Committee is on Tuesday 13 October at 7pm at the Civic Centre. An extra meeting is pencilled in for 22 October at 7.30pm if needed.

Sources