Campaigners battling to save Hindu centre of worship in Peterborough amass ‘war chest’ to fund legal fight

A gofund.me page has been created by representatives of the Bharat Hindu Samaj who say it has already attracted donations amounting to £38,000 which will help fund the challenge to Peterborough City Council’s decision to sell the New England Complex, in Lincoln Road, Millfield.

A spokesperson for the Bharat Hindu Samaj said: “The page was set up in order to give us a bit of a ‘war chest’ as we don;’t know where legal action over this sale is going to end up.”

News of the funding appeal comes shortly after the Bharat Hindu Samaj submitted a judicial review application following the council’s decision to sell the centre, which has been the home of the Bharat Hindu Samaj for 40 years.

It prompted High Court judge Mr Justice Fordham to issue an order that temporarily halted the council’s move to sell the centre.

The judge gave the council and interested parties, the Masjid Khadijah and the Islamic Centre of Khadijah Mosque, of Cromwell Road, Peterborough, until yesterday (March 4) to submit their representations.

Outlining his reasons for the decision, Mr Justice Fordham stated: “The defendant (Peterborough City Council) appears to have brought this situation on itself.

"It has received communications and acknowledged them and spoken of taking instructions.

"But I have seen no substantive response and no transparency as to the practical position.

He added: “This is a holding order.

“I say nothing about the viability or otherwise of other grounds – I have not considered them.”

A council spokesperson said: "We are aware of the legal action being pursued in relation to the sale of the New England Complex and will now engage in the legal process.

"Separately, council officers continue to liaise with all affected parties in this matter.”

Mr Justice Fordham has stated that he will consider all papers on or after today (March 5).

Timeline to council’s decision to sell the New England Complex:

Members of the council’s ruling cabinet first agreed on December 16 last year to sell the New England Complex to the highest bidder in a bid to reduce its debts and balance its books through a disposal of some assets.

However that decision was ‘called in’ on Christmas Eve last year by three councillors, Councillor Roger Antunes, Cllr Ann Shaheed and Cllr Asif Shaheed.

They wanted the cabinet to take a second look at its decision to sell the centre to an external buyer even though there was a £1.2 million offer from the current users, Bharat Hindu Samaj.

And after a four-hour-long extraordinary meeting of the council's Sustainable Future City Council Scrutiny Committee, members agreed to demand a second look at the sale proposals complaining that social value of the centre had not been taken into account.

However, councillors at the new meeting of the cabinet decided to go ahead and approve the sale of the New England Complex. They also agreed the council would try and find alternative premises within the next six months.

The building on Rock Road serves an estimated 13,500 Hindus from across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire.