Temple sale decision 'made without all information'

Councillors were not given enough information when they decided to sell a Hindu temple site, a scrutiny committee said.

The Bharat Hindu Samaj Temple in Peterborough, which caters for nearly 14,000 worshippers, was established in the city's New England Complex in 1986.

Peterborough City Council decided to sell the asset to reduce debts, and its cabinet selected a preferred bidder in December for the land, with the temple believing it had missed out on acquiring the site.

However, a council scrutiny committee has now asked for the decision to be referred back to the cabinet over concerns it "did not have the full material information to make the decision".

While the preferred bidder has not been made public, the committee also recommended that the cabinet "determine there will be no disposal until the existing tenant have either found new premises or retained their existing tenancies, within a timescale of six months".

In December, Mohammed Jamil, Labour's finance cabinet member, said the sale followed a "competitive best and final offer process".

Two bids were made for the site, and Jamil added: "A comprehensive, evidence-based, factual assessment of both the bids had been undertaken, leading to the recommendation to accept the offer that represents best value."

The temple is used by Hindus from across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.

They have been fundraising for a number of years to buy the site outright, and the committee meeting heard they had been in negotiations with the council since 2011.

Independent councillor Roger Antunes - one of those who called in the decision for further scrutiny - said terms had been agreed with the Hindu community and were set to be reviewed by the cabinet last summer.

He said they had been "given assurances that their negotiated bid would be approved".

He continued: "It wasn't. It was then rescinded, and an open-market best offer provided. That is unacceptable; the negotiated process should have been followed."

He added the community was given a month "to put a bid together from a standing start".

Antunes said: "One of the key concerns here is that in Peterborough, within a 35-mile radius of this facility, there are circa 390 churches, circa 25-30 mosques or Muslim community centres.

"There is only one Hindu consecrated temple and community centre. Not once has that been identified within the evaluation."

Liberal Democrat chair Polly Geragthy told the meeting: "Do we think they've had all the information that is necessary and required in order to come to any conclusion?

"I'm not suggesting they need to change their conclusion, but I do think there are material things that have been missed and need to be given to cabinet in order for them to conclude their decision."

The scrutiny committee asked for the decision to be reviewed by the cabinet.

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