The Ship Aground, aka the Singh Sabha Gurdwara temple pic: Jessie Levene
A dilapidated former Clapton pub is to be given a new lease of life – as a Sikh temple.
Hackney Council has recently given change of use planning permission for The Ship Aground on Lea Bridge Road to be turned into the Singh Sabha Gurdwara temple. The proposed building will cater for Hackney’s 2000-strong Sikh community, who have had to worship at temples outside of the borough for the last 16 years.
A working sign for the Singh Sabha Gurdwara Temple pic: Jessie Levene
The building will include a prayer hall, library, wedding hall, classrooms for teaching English and computer skills, residence for a priest or caretaker, a gym and a canteen.
Once finished the new temple could receive up to 120 worshippers at a time, prompting concerns from local residents that current parking provision in the surrounding area will not be sufficient.
Local on-street parking is not on a permit-system and some residents are worried that this could become an issue:
In general however East London Lines found local residents to be largely positive about their new neighbours:
