Campaigners fighting to save Hindu centre of worship in Peterborough are 'hopeful' of success

The upbeat message comes after two days of consideration by a High Court judge about a judicial review application following Peterborough City Council’s decision to sell the New England Complex in Lincoln Road, Millfield.

Campaigners with Bharat Hindu Samaj Hindu, which has used the centre for 40 years and who have brought the application, say they are hopeful of a positive outcome with Mr Justice Fordham still to announce his decision.

A spokesperson said: “We are still hopeful of a favourable decision.

"The judge is obviously thinking very hard about the directions he wants to give.”

The judicial review has been sought in a bid to secure a closer look at the council’s decision to sell the centre to the highest bidder.

While he considers the matter, the judge has ordered that the council should not take any further action with the sale until he has considered all representations from Bharat Hindu Samaj Hindu, the council and interested parties named as the Masjid Khadijah and the Islamic Centre of Khadijah Mosque, of Cromwell Road, Peterborough.

Outlining his reasons for the decision, Mr Justice Fordham stated: “The defendant (the 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."

The order states that the council is prevented from ‘instructing or encouraging’ any other person from taking ‘any irreversible step in relation to the disposal of the New England Complex.

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

The spokesman for the Bharat Hindu Samaj Hindu said members were determined to fight the closure plans.

A gofund.me page has already raised more than £68,740 which campaigners say will be a ‘war chest’ to fund any further legal action.

And a petition set to up to demand the sale of the centre be halted has attracted 18,885 signatures.

The Masjid Khadijah and the Islamic Centre of Khadijah Mosque have been approached but a response has not been received.

A council spokesperson has 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.”

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.