New Hindu temple built out of recycled shipping containers is approved for Milton Keynes estate

Plans for a new Hindu temple to be built out of recycled shipping containers in Milton Keynes have finally been approved after a three year battle.

The building will be in St Agnes Way on Tattenhoe and will serve around 95 worshippers a day from the city’s SHITAL group, whose members worship the Indian spiritual master Sai Baba of Shirdi.

The Shirdi Sai Baba Temple Association first applied for planning permission at the site in 2020 but their bid was refused following a string of objections from residents on the estate about parking and traffic problems it could generate.

This month their second attempt has been granted, despite another 150 objections from local people.

MK City Council officers decided the “roads could cope” and accepted changes made to the original application to limit any disruption.

These changes include a limit of 120 people at a time attending weddings, festivals and other functions.

There are 12,400 Hindus living in MK - 4.5% of the city's population – and the SHITAL group is delighted they finally have a place to call their own.

They practice the Shirdi Sai Baba ethos of love, harmony and helping the community and work hard to provide food for the needy in MK. Devotees have been donating the equivalent of 100 meals a week to two Food Banks in the city since 2020 and also helped hundreds of local people during the Covid lockdowns.

The new temple, apart from promoting spiritual growth, will be a focus for the group’s activities related to healthcare, combating loneliness, Yoga, blood donation, fostering of the arts and career guidance and support.

"We are delighted”, said a spokesman for the group. "We are a people of harmony and look forward to working with everyone to keep our city a spiritual place that is a pleasure to live in," they said.

Last week another group of local Sai Baba devotees called DREAMSAI were also granted their own place, a building in the Kingston retail centre, to use as a temple and community centre. DREAMSAI is a multi-faith group.