Telford Gurdwara seeks to hold bigger weddings

A Sikh temple in Telford has applied for planning permission to hold 30 weddings each year with up to 500 guests.

Operators of the Gurdwara at Abbey House, in Whitechapel Way, Priorslee, want to see a planning condition that limits the number of huge weddings increased from five so they can host more for local people.

Planners at Telford & Wrekin Council have been told that the owners have conducted large festivals with 800 people on site on “multiple occasions’ with “no disruptions.”

Local people, they say, are having to travel distances away from Telford to hold weddings.

The council had approved the change of use of the building in March 2023 but imposed a condition, which the applicants dub “the wedding clause” on the number and scale of the weddings.

Gurdwara leaders can only offer weddings featuring no more than 500 guests, five times annually and these must take place during the weekend.

All other weddings can be held at other times of the week but with numbers capped at 130.

Last year council planners imposed the wedding clause to “safeguard the amenities of the area.”

Transport consultant Cole Easdon say there are currently no restrictions placed on other larger functions at the venue such as prayer services, funerals and charity events.

“The nearest Gurdwaras with a similar capacity are located at Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton, which would require worshipers to travel a significant distance if a larger wedding needed to be arranged,” the application documents say.

They add that the Gurdwara has 109 car parking spaces and will manage the it to ensure there is no overspill onto local roads.

“When major events take place, the Gurdwara will manage the car parking to ensure that overspill car parking does not take place onto Whitechapel Way or Shifnal Road.

“ The Gurdwara also has permission to use the neighbouring car parks of the PDSA and the Learning Community Trust when major events take place.

“Those people arriving on site by car will be directed to specific car parking spaces to avoid congestion within the car park.”

The Gurdwara has recently been given permission for a 4G sports pitch and they are planning to use part of the site as a creche / nursery.

One resident of Priorslee has responded to a recently launched public consultation with his “concerns over parking.”

He says: “When an event is on at the venue the entire length of Shifnal Road becomes single file.

“This is very dangerous and I have had a couple of near misses.”

The application is out for public consultation on the Telford & Wrekin Council website with the reference TWC/2025/0292.

Pic: Google Maps