Revised plans to convert the Jolly Woodman pub into a Hinduism centre have been submitted after the initial attempt attracted more than 100 support letters, but 200 objections.

If approved, the proposals would see the vacant Burnham boozer on Littleworth Road transformed into a ‘religious learning centre for teaching and training’.

The fresh blueprints for the Jolly Woodman, which opened in 1832 and closed in January, have been published this week by the landowner, GB SRS Brundavan, a registered charity.

The organisation’s latest application for the pub comes after it withdrew its previous bid to transform the building last month.

GB SRSB’s former plans included proposals for a new outbuilding and single storey side extension following demolition of the existing store.

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The Slough-based charity’s withdrawn plans drew more than 100 letters of support, but also more than 200 objections due to traffic concerns and the potential impact on local wildlife.

The applicant has addressed the issues in its new plans, which read: “The previous application attracted a significant level of interest both in terms of support and objections.

“In hindsight the application lacked detail on some of the issues that are of particular interest to the community, including the specific nature of the proposed activities, opening times, viability, parking demand and accessibility, and noise considerations.”

The charity explained in its new plans that it intended to change of use of the existing building to provide a religious learning centre for devotees of 16th century Hindu saint, scholar and theologian, Shri Raghavendra Swami.

This would involve ‘minor internal works only’, the application says, with no external physical works other sign changes planned.

The revised plans do not propose any demolition works or extensions as were put forward previously, and so the existing floor area will remain unchanged.

The religious learning centre would occupy the existing ground floor area, while the existing first floor flat would be retained for staff use. New floorplans show how the old pub will be divided into areas for yoga and meditation and a small private area for rituals, as well as a separate library, meeting room, coat and shoe store, and an office.

A timetable of activities included in the new plans says the learning centre will operate from 10am-8pm Monday to Saturday and 10:30am to 8pm on Sundays.

A planning statement submitted as part of the new application reads: “The property does not have any on-site parking spaces. Visitors to the public house have historically used the informal parking area to Littleworth Common adjacent to the south.

“This parking area is also used by walkers, visitors to the church and parents of children at the schools. The proposals will also include the provision of 10 secure cycle parking spaces.”

Storage, waste and recycling arrangements at the site will remain unchanged, according to the application.

GB SRSB said it was expected that the highest attendance at the site would be Saturday evenings when between 25 and 30 people may attend for prayers, based off current numbers at its existing centre in Chalvey.

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