THE Shia Muslim group whose £1.5million purchase of the High Town Drill Hall was blocked by Luton Borough Council say they may consider a legal challenge to the decision.
The Masjid e Ali group, currently based in Moor Street, say they are “bitterly disappointed” by the council’s decision to use the site for affordable housing after a three-month inquiry led by councillors.
Council officers agreed in January to sell the Old Bedford Road site to the group for use as a community centre after attempts to sell it to housing developers failed. Rumours were then circulated by the English Defence League that the Masjid e Ali were planning to use it for a ‘High Town Super-Mosque’.
The council suspended the sale in March, saying it had to act on new policy guidance from Whitehall on the sale of council-owned buildings.
After nine months of waiting, the Masjid e Ali were told last week that the sale could not go ahead.
Spokesman Robert Dunwell said: “There definitely could be a legal challenge. I can’t automatically say that is the way we are going to go, but I definitely think we would have a case.
“In the near future we will be discussing all the issues and discussing which steps we will take.
“We have a duty to the people who provided all the money.”
The group had worked with the council to see if a “split site” option including housing and a community centre was viable.
Council leader Hazel Simmons said: “This has been a long and challenging process and the decision we have made at the end of it reflects the council’s commitment to doing everything it can to continue to provide new and much-needed affordable housing in Luton.
“This remains an absolute priority.”
A council spokesman added: “We are confident that correct and fair processes have been followed in reaching this difficult decision.”