Religious centre plan goes to an appeal

CONTROVERSIAL plans to turn a house in Burbage into a landmark centre for a little-known spiritual group have gone to appeal.

A decision is expected on the bid by Dehli-based humanitarianism organisation Sachkhand Nanak Dham to obtain official consent to use the house as an East Midlands base.

The group has been trying to get planning permission for six years and has already seen one appeal dismissed.

This further appeal follows the rejection of its latest application to extend the property and use it as a meeting and teaching centre. Councillors threw out the bid last year on highway safety grounds.

Initially permission was sought in 2009 to deliver worship from Stretton House, off the A5. When this was refused a similar application focusing on teaching was made in 2012, rejected and an appeal dismissed in January 2013.

Burbage Parish Council and neighbours have objected at every turn, with nearby residents saying the eight-bedroom house has been used as a religious centre for the last seven years anyway, attracting coach-loads of visitors.

The application and appeal comes from charity Sachkhand Nanak Dham, the spiritual arm of Das Dharam, established in 1980 and which has links to the Sikh faith.

It has more than one million followers worldwide, in India, the UK, USA and Canada and was created to “provide spiritual and social awareness to mankind, to provide communities a practical path of co-existing with each other with love, peace, harmony and unity, and to help break down the barriers of religious bigotry, castism, fear and hatred.”

The application suggested only a handful of people would use the site at any one time - addressing concerns over traffic problems and local disruption. Previous bids had talked about the centre hosting the organisation’s religious leader - His Holiness - four or five times a year with up to 200 people attending.

The last bid said such events would be held offsite and planning officers suggested restricting the number of visitors and vehicles to 15 people and five cars on weekdays, 50 people and 20 vehicles on Saturdays and 80 people and 30 vehicles on a Sunday.

Das Dharam was founded in 1980 by His Holiness Satguru Hazur Maharaz Darshan Das Jee’s Satsang. It welcomes all religions with open arms but places great emphasis on the path of humanity being the true religion. It has a centre in Birmingham.

A Government planning inspector is expected to reveal his decision on the appeal soon.