Plans to change use of Peterborough Buddhist centre

Drolma Mahayana Buddhist Centre is located at Woodbyth, 260 Dogsthorpe Road — a detached three-storey house.

The applicant hopes to change the property from its current mixed use as a residential home and a Buddhist meditation room to use solely as a single family home.

“The applicant is in the process of selling the property, and the prospective purchasers intend to occupy it as their residence,” planning documents stated.

Since 2007, the property has been continuously occupied as the home of a small residential religious community of no more than six people living together as a single household.

The ground-floor meditation room would revert to use as a domestic living room as part of the new plans.

The applicant’s planning statement said: “The proposal seeks no more than the return of a family house to full residential use.

“It involves no building works, reduces the intensity of activity at the property, retains the approved parking and access, and accords with the residential character of the area and with the considerations on which the council relied in 2007.

“There are no material considerations weighing against the proposal, and the applicant respectfully requests that permission be granted.”

The Buddhist centre’s website says it offers a wide range of classes, courses, events and retreats on meditation and modern Buddhism for all levels from beginners to more experienced meditators.

City council planners will make a decision on the application at a later date.