High Court judge pauses Peterborough City Council move to sell Hindu centre of worship

Peterborough City Council has been told by a High Court judge that for the moment it cannot take any further action in its bid to sell the New England Complex, in Lincoln Road, Millfield, which has been home to the Bharat Hindu Samaj Hindu temple for 40 years.

The order was made in the High Court on February 27 following a judicial review application by Bharat Hindu Samaj Hindu into the decision by the council to sell the building.

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.

It names the council as the defendant in the case and also names as interested parties the Masjid Khadijah and the Islamic Centre of Khadijah Mosque, of Cromwell Road, Peterborough, which is a place of worship for the Muslims in Peterborough.

Outlining his reasons for the decision, Mr Justice Fordham states: “The Defendant 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.

"I would ordinarily not want to be making any interim order having heard only the Claimant’s voice.

"But I am not prepared to allow the prospect that these proceedings could be frustrated by action unknown to the Claimant or Court.

Mr Justice Fordham adds: "This is a holding order.

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

Afterwards, 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.”

The spokesperson refused to comment further.

The council and the interested parties have until 4pm tomorrow (March 3) to make their submissions.

, Mr Justice Fordham states that he will consider all papers on or after 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 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.

Campaigners have also set up a petition calling for the sale of Peterborough’s ‘only Hindu temple’ to be halted.

So far, it has attracted more than 18,000 signatures.