A section of Harrow Civic Centre is to be transformed into a Hindu temple for the next two years as part of a council agreement.

It will host an International Siddhashram Shakti Centre (ISSC) while work is carried out at the site of the new council building in Wealdstone.

The council’s plans to build its new headquarters in Wealdstone High Street will affect proceedings at the current temple site in Palmerston Road.

It suggested that worshippers utilise a space in the current civic centre as a solution, which was unanimously approved by the planning committee.

A spokesman for ISSC said he was “pleased that permission has been granted” and that the temple is “waiting for confirmation of the moving date”.

Concerns were raised by members of the public that the move would disrupt the area around the civic centre.

As a response, planning officers explained that the council would restrict the temple’s opening hours and the number of patrons using it at any one time.

They added that worshippers would gain access to public car parks – without special permissions – while the possibility of a temporary route would be assessed.

Cllr Norman Stevenson asked whether there was a contingency plan in place if the building work in Wealdstone was not complete after two years.

Officers explained that, in this instance, the temple’s permission to use the current civic centre “would expire”. However, the works are expected to be completed within this timeframe.

In recent years the civic centre has housed two primary schools while they underwent improvement works.

In 2014, Marlborough Primary School moved into the building in Station Road while it waited for a new building.

And last year Pinner Wood School experienced a stint in the centre while a chalk mine near its original site was repaired.