Hindu temple feels let down over sale of site

"Bharat Hindu Samaj is not just a place of worship but our home," Kishore Ladwa says

Members of a city's Hindu community said they felt let down after the news that their temple site could be sold by a council to help balance its budget.

The Bharat Hindu Samaj Temple was established in the New England Complex in Peterborough in 1986.

The complex is owned by Peterborough City Council and its sale forms part of the the authority's ongoing efforts to reduce debts by selling its assets.

Kishore Ladwa, the temple's president, said the group was "feeling devastated and the council's decision has left them very worried".

The temple, on Rock Road, Millfield, is used by Hindu worshippers from across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk.

Seeking a buyer

"The temple is an integral part of the lives of multiple generations. What the council has done has really upset lots of our members," Mr Ladwa said.

"We have been negotiating with [the council] for the last 15 years to get the site but have had no success."

In addition to the temple, the New England Complex is home to several tenants including a soup kitchen.

Mohammed Jamil, a Labour councillor and the authority's cabinet member for finance, said the council was "inviting best and final offers for the disposal of the property".

He said the preferred bidder "will take on the property with all existing tenancies in place," though temple leaders remain anxious about what this could mean for the long-term.

The temple runs social and educational activities during the week such as a lunch club and charity outreach work

Bharthi Keshwara, who attends the temple, said: "It is deeply personal to me - it is the place my grandfather Deva Vasta Keshwara helped establish along with three of his friends.

"It has always been more than a place of worship; it's a centre of positivity - a community hub where families support those in need, and help people from all walks of life."

Dinesh Odedra, who volunteers at the temple, said: "In comparison other faiths have multiple places of worship. Unless we are successful with the bid we will have no temple.

"We've been here 40-plus years - giving back into the community and we feel we have just been hung out to dry."

Jamil added: "We recognise the long-standing community role of the site, and it is intended that the property will continue to be used for community purposes, reflecting the needs of the Millfield area.

"If the Bharat Hindu Samaj is not the preferred bidder, responsibility for its tenancy would transfer to the new owner, and they would continue to have rights and protections under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954."