Members of the Swaminarayan Temple, in Avenham Place, Preston, have bought a former photographic workshop, on School Street, off Bow Lane, and plan to turn it into a temple and community centre.

Permission for their current temple to be demolished and replaced by new homes was granted after the building fell into a state of disrepair.

The community centre, which will include education facilities and youth activities, could be open by October 2009.

Gerry Limbachia, from the temple, said: "We are just waiting for the work to start.

"We have bought the premises and planning permission is there but we would also like to do some community work consultations.

"Part of the building will be used for worship and another part will be community-based activities.

"It will make a big impact on the area because there will be a lot of community-based activities together with the spiritual."

Mr Limbachia said the transformation of the building will be done in stages and work has started to help raise between £600,000 and £700,000 to complete the project.

He said: "We hope it will be finished by the next Diwali."

The Preston Council planning committee meeting at which the decision was made to grant the Victorian building's demolition, sparked a heated debate.

Some members, including Labour councillor Ron Atkins, supported the demolition, claiming the building was "falling to pieces", but others, including Tory councillor Geoff Driver, claimed it was "part of the town's heritage."



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