Residents have complained about noise caused by building work at a Hindu temple.
The Nagapooshani Ambaal Tamil Temple, in Church Lane, Edmonton, applied for permission in 2012 to demolish the existing building and put up a new place of worship and community hall. The plans were approved by Enfield Council.
Work on the new structure started at the beginning of the month – but the combined noise of building and prayer sessions involving music is a major concern to residents, who say that their peace is being disturbed.
Rachelle Romeo, 30, of Latymer Road, is a resident whose house backs on to the temple. “Due to the residential nature of the area, there is not much space around the temple, so noise, not to mention the dust from the building work, travels very easily,” she said.
She also blames visitors to the temple for causing a huge problem with parking spaces on narrow roads in the area.
However, project managers for the temple’s reconstruction explained that the ongoing building work would aid neighbours’ noise complaints in the long run.
“We are reconstructing the temple to make it soundproof,” explained Siva Sivanathan, the project’s managing director.
“We will be using better materials that will control the acoustics and control music levels. We take every effort to minimise disturbance to residents and ensure to inform them of the project’s plans by sending them regular leaflets and letters explaining the building work.”
He added that parking issues in the area were not entirely due to visitors to the temple.
“The council looked into the registration plates of the cars parked in the road and discovered most of the cars belong to those accessing Edmonton Green station nearby,” the project manager added added.
The temple tries to avoid road congestion by providing extra measures for big events, directing visitors to Latymer All Saints Primary School’s car park, in Hydethorpe Avenue.
Plans for the temple include importing a religious shrine from India, which is made from rhinestone.
“This is an important project in the area and community,” said Mr Sivanathan. “There is no other Hindu Tamil temple in the borough and I am certain that the new temple will add aesthetic value to Enfield and be an impressive landmark.”