Council decision to sell a Hindu centre of worship in Peterborough is to be reviewed

Three councillors have ‘called in’ a move to the New England Complex, Lincoln Road, Peterborough.

The action comes just days after Peterborough City Council’s ruling cabinet voted to dispose of Units 1 to 7 of the New England Complex to the highest bidder.

The building on Rock Road has been home to the Bharat Hindu Samaj Mandir for 40 years and serves an estimated 13,500 Hindus from across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire.

Now Councillor Roger Antunes, Cllr Ann Shaheed and Cllr Asif Shaheed have used council processes to ‘call in’ and secure a review of the decision to sell the building following a ‘best and final offer’.

It means the matter will now go before an extraordinary meeting of the Sustainable Future City Council Scrutiny Committee.

The date for the meeting has still to be decided.

As well as being an important place of worship, the temple hosts a wide range of community events and makes large charitable donations.

Cllr Shaheed said: “We feel it is not right how they have gone about it.

"We just felt that more councillors should have a look at this decision.

"It has only been to Cabinet and we think there should be more eyes on it and for the impact of the decision to be considered.”

The decision on December 16 to sell the building had left many members of the public, who attended the meeting, in tears.

Dinesh Odedra, who was in attendance at the cabinet meeting, told the Peterborough Telegraph: “Some of us, including myself, are still confused by what is happening.

“There were elderly congregation members who were in tears [at the meeting], really upset. They had to be taken away.

“A lot of the services we are offering, we are not going to be able to offer going forward.”