Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Neasden Temple road will be renamed after Pramukh Swami

PART of a road near the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden, north London, will be renamed after the Indian saint whose idea it was to build the project, writes Adam Shaw.

On Monday (12), Brent Council’s cabinet approved an application by the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, also known as Neasden Temple, to change a section Meadow Garth to Pramukh Swami Road.


His Holiness Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj was president of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Shri Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the organisation behind the Neasden Temple. He died in 2016 aged 94.

The council acknowledged the temple’s position as a “international landmark” in Brent, as well as its contribution to the borough.

Despite some objections, councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said overall, the name change would be a positive step.

He said: “We are at a juncture in society where we will be discussing a whole host of community issues.

“Brent has always been a welcoming community – its diversity makes it unique and is what makes it such a successful borough.

“Recognising the achievements of all our communities is one of the ways we can create a cohesive society.”

Councillor Krupesh Hirani, who represents Dudden Hill ward, welcomed the application, describing the temple – the largest Hindu temple in Europe – as “part and parcel” of Brent and a site of global significance.

He added it was good to see a road name change linked to a “positive contribution” rather than those associated with negative history.

Among those who resisted the change was a resident living in Meadow Garth who said it would be “grossly disrespectful” to her and her neighbours to rename part of the street.

While she acknowledged the temple’s contribution to the community and its offer of compensation to those affected by any change, she said it would be a “great inconvenience” and could contribute to an “increase in anxiety” due to the associated hassle.

Representatives from Brentfield Primary School warned that any change would split its address and suggested it “does not reflect our community or the school community”.

The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority said the spelling and pronunciation of the proposed new name “could cause confusion and possible delay in the event of an emergency”.

More For You

Sunita-Williams-Reuters

Sunita Williams was part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission and had been stranded in space for over nine months. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters)

India looks amazing from space, says Sunita Williams

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams described India as "amazing" from space and expressed her intention to visit her "father's home country" to share her experiences on space exploration.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, she responded to a question about how India appeared from space and the possibility of collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Keep ReadingShow less
british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less