Desk : The Hindu community in Northstowe, Cambridgeshire, has suffered a setback after its proposal to secure land for the town’s first Hindu temple was rejected in favour of a joint proposal by a local church network and a Muslim community group.
The South Cambridgeshire District Council approved the allocation of approximately 0.25 hectares of land to the Northstowe Church Network (NCN) on a 999-year lease. The approved development will include a church, an Islamic prayer space, and community facilities.
The Hindu Samaj Northstowe (HSN), which had submitted a proposal to build a Hindu temple along with a multi-purpose community and cultural centre on the same site, was unsuccessful. According to the council’s evaluation, the Hindu group’s proposal received 65 points, while the church network’s proposal scored 81 points, leading to its selection.
Members of the local Hindu community expressed disappointment over the decision, stating that there is no permanent Hindu temple in Northstowe or the surrounding area. They said families are often required to travel long distances to attend religious services and celebrate major festivals, while some religious activities are currently conducted in temporary or private spaces.
Aparna Nigam-Saxena, Chair of Hindu Samaj Northstowe, questioned the transparency of the council’s assessment process and said the organisation is considering further administrative or legal options to challenge the decision.
The South Cambridgeshire District Council, however, maintained that all proposals were assessed against pre-established and publicly available criteria, and that the final decision was made through a fair and transparent evaluation process.