Council shuts unauthorised Buddhist temple hidden in former east London pub

A local council has shut down an unauthorised Buddhist temple operating without permission in a former east London pub.

The Confucius & Tao Association has been ordered to cease using The Lord Brooke on Shernhall Street as a place of worship, more than a decade after its planning application was rejected.

The charitable organisation, which promotes Buddhism through the teachings of Taoism and Confucianism, acquired the former Victorian pub in 2014 after its closure.

Despite being refused permission to convert the building into a temple in January 2015, the association appears to have proceeded with the transformation regardless.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

The Lord Brooke, named after the 19th-century union between a Walthamstow heiress and a Conservative politician, once served as a gathering spot for rugby clubs and darts enthusiasts.

Its Victorian exterior concealed a pub garden, three bars and a function room before the Metropolitan Police raided the premises in 2014.

Officers discovered drug dealers, narcotics paraphernalia and illegal immigrants residing in the upstairs accommodation, leading authorities to label it a "drug haven".

The pub's licence was subsequently revoked and the building closed.

The Buddhist association purchased the property for £740,000 in June 2014, shortly after it was shuttered.

When the association sought planning permission to convert the pub into a religious venue, Waltham Forest's planning committee rejected the request in January 2015.

Councillors determined that the building's function as a pub represented a "valued part of the social infrastructure of the area".

The committee informed the association that while informal gatherings were permissible, conducting worship services in the renovated premises would be unlawful.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Met Police arrest 117 protesters on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action
• Fraudster jailed after scamming tenants out of £77k using London flat
• EasyJet flight takes off from wrong point at major UK airport after cockpit error

Nevertheless, the Waltham Forest council's recent enforcement action indicates the group continued its conversion work.

The association recorded gross income exceeding £89,000 in 2024, with spending directed towards Buddhist seminars, prayer gatherings and public study sessions.

On 30 April, the council issued an enforcement notice requiring the association to halt its "unauthorised use of the land and buildings as a place of worship, associated community centre, and ancillary café".

The notice also demanded an end to educational classes and social events, along with the removal of temple-related fixtures and fittings.

The association has lodged an appeal with the planning inspectorate.

A Waltham Forest spokesman stated: "Planning laws are designed to control the development and use of buildings to benefit the public.

"We enforce these regulations to maintain and enhance the unique character of our town centres and neighbourhoods as well as to protect the integrity of the planning system."

The enforcement notice remains suspended pending the inspectorate's decision.

GB News has reached out to the Confucius & Tao Association for comment.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter