LEICESTER, ENGLAND, September 19, 2011 (bbc): The management committee of a USD 1.5m Hindu temple due to open October 9 in Leicester has vowed to keep traffic congestion to a minimum.
Although the Gipsy Lane location for the Mandir was approved by the council in 2008, some residents have complained the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is being built on a busy road and would attract traffic problems.
Committee spokesman Sanjiv Patel explained the traffic-control measures: There will be over 100 car spaces on site for devotees and visitors, and the temple also plans to provide shuttle service from other car parks in the area. The vast majority of the congregation would not travel by car anyway, he said, because “we’re in the heart of the community” and the committee was encouraging worshippers to walk, cycle or use public transport.
A city council spokesperson also responded to the complaints: “The application was advertised by sending letters to neighboring homes and businesses as well as putting public notices near the site and in the local press. We also informed people who had made comments and representations on the application about the decision once it had been made.”
The new temple, funded by the London-based charity BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha UK and members of the Hindu community, will replace the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on St James Street, in the city center, which has no parking.