London, March 4 A 40-year-old Hindu temple and community centre in Peterborough, UK, is concerned about its future due to the local council's decision to sell the complex it rents to the highest bidder, and has won an interim injunction from the London High Court.
Bharat Hindu Samaj Mandir, established in the city's New England Complex in 1986 and serving over 13,000 Hindus from across the wider region of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire, mounted this legal challenge to save its home in the eastern England city.
Justice Michael Fordham issued an order last week blocking "any irreversible step" in relation to the disposal of the New England Complex.
"The defendant [Peterborough City Council] appears to have brought this situation on itself," Judge Fordham was quoted as saying in a court report in the 'Peterborough Telegraph'.
"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 said.
The temporary reprieve followed a judicial review application by the Bharat Hindu Samaj charity, which launched an online Go Fund Me fundraising appeal and quickly raised nearly £36,000 of its £86,000 target to fund its legal challenge against the sale of the complex.
Through court documents, the group discovered that the council's favoured bidder to acquire the property is Masjid Khadijah and Islamic Centre of Khadijah Mosque.
"This results in the future scenario of one faith group being the owner of a premises [landlord] that another faith group resides in [tenant]," notes the Bharat Hindu Samaj.
"We are now pursuing a legal action to fully challenge the Council's decision-making process to sell the complex, which our legal experts believe to be unfair and unlawful, and to ensure that the previous promises the Council has made are honoured," it states.
In April last year, the charity was offered the opportunity to purchase the complex for £1.3 million, and it "tirelessly" fundraised to make the bid "in good faith".
However, they accuse the Council of a U-turn later in the year, which resulted in its Scrutiny Committee eventually calling for a review of the decision.
"It is important to stress that we are not selling the building with vacant possession – the building is being sold with the tenants in place. The council has a legal obligation to achieve best value for taxpayers on the sale of assets. We will not be naming the bidders until the sale is complete," the council said in a recent statement.
But the Bharat Hindu Samaj has alleged that they were given "empty promises" of being "supported", which have not "materialised".
"For many worshippers, this is devastating. It feels like our history, our contributions to the local community, and our cultural home are simply being dismissed in return for a few extra pounds," it said.
The Council said it has since submitted its response to the court and its representations and that of the mosque as the "interested party" will be considered, with a further High Court order expected in the coming days.
