Bharat Hindu Samaj Mandir
London: A 40-year-old Hindu temple and community centre located within a complex in the eastern England city of Peterborough fears closure after the local council upheld a decision to sell the building it rents out.
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, had been campaigning for Peterborough City Council to reconsider its decision.
However, a council cabinet meeting earlier this month concluded that it had a “legal obligation to achieve best value for taxpayers on the sale of assets”.
“We strongly condemn the sale of Bharat Hindu Samaj. An institution built by the community should not be sold behind closed doors without transparency or consent,” the mandir said in a statement.
“This is not just about property — it’s about heritage, trust, and accountability. The community deserves answers, not secrecy. This decision must be questioned and opposed,” it stated.
Hindu Council UK (HCUK), an umbrella body representing British Hindus, has accused the new administration at Labour Party-led Peterborough City Council (PCC) of overlooking a previous acknowledgement of the mandir’s “social impact value” and commitment to transfer ownership to the Bharat Hindu Samaj (BHS) charity.
It claims a series of purchase offers were submitted by the charity for cabinet approval, including 1.3 million pounds in April last year.
“However, under the new administration at PCC, the offer is ignored, and the BHS is informed that in order to reduce the council’s debts, it will need to offer the site to the highest bidder on an open-market value basis,” Dipen Rajyaguru, HCUK’s Director of Equality and Inclusion, said in a statement.
The organisation is among those appealing for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to intervene in order to protect the place of worship, with a Change.Org online petition protesting the open-market sale attracting over 16,000 signatures.
“The sale of Bharat Hindu Samaj Mandir would not only desecrate our sacred idols but also create a devastating void in our spiritual and social lives, leaving thousands without a sanctuary for their traditions and beliefs. This decision by the council appears to disregard the deep emotional and spiritual ties we have with the mandir,” reads the petition.
Peterborough City Council confirmed its cabinet had upheld an earlier decision to sell the New England Complex at a meeting on February 10, in keeping with the original recommendation of its property board.
“It is important to stress 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,” a council statement noted.
Councillor Mohammed Jamil, the council’s cabinet member for finance and corporate governance, said they “fully understand” the concerns of the Hindu community and will continue to work with them and the building’s other tenants to support anyone affected by the decision.
“Officers will be shortly issuing communications to all tenants and will welcome meetings to discuss this situation in more detail. I will emphasise that the building is being sold with the tenants, we are not seeking vacant possession and the current tenants have rights as per their existing lease,” said Jamil.
This post was last modified on February 25, 2026 9:39 pm