A disused sports pavilion is to be turned into a place of worship to cater for the needs of “over 5000 Hindus in Oxfordshire” who are said to have “no place of their own in the entire county”.

The Oxford Hindu Temple and Community Centre Project (OHTCCP) has had its plans approved to convert a building previously used for sports at Marsh Lane in Marston into somewhere religious services can take place.

A planning paper says: “OHTCCP was established to cater for the needs of over 5,000 Hindus in Oxfordshire. Currently they have no place of their own in the entire county, and they hire a Community Centre to run monthly communal religious services.

This arrangement is sub-optimal. The building will also “be inclusive and provide a secular community setting” offering services such as health interventions and support for “older, disabled, and vulnerable people.”