Peterborough City Council responds to High Court request for details over plans to sell Hindu centre of worship

The local authority was given until 4pm today (March 3) to make its representations to the High Court after a judicial review application by Bharat Hindu Samaj Hindu into the decision by the council to sell the New England Complex, in Lincoln Road, Millfield.

The building has been home to the Bharat Hindu Samaj Hindu temple for 40 years and the community has been left angry and upset at the council’s decision to sell the building, and in particular, to try and sell it to a third party despite a £1.3 million bid from current users.

It had sought the judicial review to examine the decision and the impact of the judge’s order was to freeze further action by the council to sell the centre.

A council spokesperson said:”We are submitting a response today.

"Representations from the council and the interested party will be considered.”

The High Court order from Mr Justice Fordham had named the council as the defendant in the case and also named as interested parties the Masjid Khadijah and the Islamic Centre of Khadijah Mosque, of Cromwell Road, Peterborough.

The Masjid Khadijah and the Islamic Centre of Khadijah Mosque were also given until 4pm today to make its representations to the court.

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

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."

Mr Justice Fordham stated 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.