‘Newham lacks place to engage in religious and cultural activities’
NEWHAM Council have been accused of ignoring the needs of their local Hindu community by not including plans to rebuild a community centre in the local area.
The Upton Community Centre was in 2016 demolished to make way for development. It served as a hub for the local Hindu population, with many religious and faith events taking place until its closure in 2014.
In February, the council approved plans for new homes and a nursery to be built on the former site of the centre. However, these plans do not include the reconstruction of the community centre, although former mayor Sir Robin Wales had pledged to do so.
Narendra Rao is the joint secretary of the Upton Community Association, which has taken up the cause to rebuild the centre. In an interview with Eastern Eye, Rao cautioned against plans to exclude the centre from the redevelopment plan. He believes Hindus are being treated unfairly by the council and claimed many people could feel “alienated” from their religious and cultural activities without the building.
'People have become isolated'
According to Rao, the council first raised objections to the pay of caretakers and other staff in the mid-1990s. Later they asked the Upton Community Association leaders to take over running the centre. He said community leaders negotiated the lease of the centre’s building and other matters for three consecutive years – but the council backtracked on its decision and stopped providing maintenance.
“The council closed the centre in December 2014, saying the centre’s heating system (boiler) had broken down and could not be repaired,” Rao said. “We believe the council ran down the centre to build housing flats for people on low income.”
He noted the use of the centre, which previously saw the celebration of festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Navratri and Durga Puja. It also hosted different projects, including yoga and Gujarati language classes.
After the centre’s demolition, some groups were allotted alternative small spaces for their activities within the borough. However, Rao argued it is no longer possible to carry out various religious and cultural activities on a large scale like previously. “All the activities of about 8,000 Hindus in the Newham area have been dispersed,” Rao said. “People have become isolated, and most have stopped coming to the smaller centre due to the lack of activity.”
Rao noted the difficulties of finding a place for Hindus to engage in religious and cultural activities, as venues where alcohol and non-vegetarian food is served would not be suitable. “There is no longer such a place in the Newham area for the Hindu faith,” he said, adding: “The council’s administration was so indifferent to the centre and the Hindu community that at the time of the demolition, the council threatened to recycle £8,000 worth of religious, cultural and children’s books from the organisation’s library, if not immediately moved. So, the books had to be moved to a hall near the VHP Ilford Temple.”
Upton Centre leaders have since asked for time to make a presentation to the local mayor Rokhsana Fiaz.
In response to Eastern Eye, a Newham council spokesperson said; “Newham has an overwhelming need for new affordable homes particularly those suitable for families. There is also an identified need in this area for more nursery school provision. All of the 65 new homes in this project will be offered at London Affordable Rent. The new nursery will address the shortage of nursery places in Plaistow North, which has less than half the borough’s average provision.”
The council said it had undertaken “significant” consultation with residents and community groups in the area and had been active in identifying alternative accommodation for most of the groups that used the Upton Centre since it closed in 2014.
Darren Levy, Newham Director of Housing, told Eastern Eye the project showed the council was acting on people’s priorities, “one of which is affordable housing”. Levy said: “We are confident the new space at Valetta Grove, which is next to Plaistow Station and just a 13 minute walk from the old Upton centre, will be welcomed and used by the community. The council will continue to listen and engage with all community groups about their needs, and ensure provision is designed for the benefit of all."
Damian Talbot