ALLEGATIONS of homophobia aimed at a spiritual group which wants to buy a derelict school came out at a public meeting intended to scrutinise the site’s sale.

Subud Lewes successfully won a bid for the old St Anne’s School site in Lewes, despite not being the highest bidder.

The public uproar over Subud’s win led to East Sussex County Council reviewing the decision-making process, with a meeting at County Hall on Wednesday.

Tony Leonard, who runs The Snowdrop pub in Lewes, unearthed teachings by Subud’s Indonesian founder, Bapak, which question homosexuality and gender roles. He told the meeting: “They are clearly a homophobic organisation.”

Councillor John Barnes, sitting on the panel, said: “The founder was undoubtedly homophobic.”

David Anderson, project leader for the St Anne's bid on behalf of Subud Lewes, said the majority of Subud members were not homophobic.

He said: “It is a very open organisation and it may be that some individuals have some views about homosexuality and politics – we cannot legislate against individual views – but the majority of Subud members are inclusive and open, and certainly not homophobic.”

Another Subud woman spoke out to say Loudwater Farm, a Subud site near London, hosts gay weddings.

The proposed St Anne’s site would be the third in Lewes in which Subud members have been involved after the Lewes New School, which opened in 2000, and Pelham House, purchased for about £2 million by four individuals in 2003.

As part of the long-running dispute, which centres around the site being earmarked for community use and not housing, Councillor John Stockdale had previously told The Argus that he felt the site was better suited to housing. However, ESCC has said the land is not suitable for such use because of access.

Coun Stockdale – who was previously a trustee of the Lewes Community Land Trust, which was one of the failed bidders for the site along with the YMCA – questioned the community value of the bid on the table.

Not all the evidence was heard at the meeting, which will reconvene on Tuesday at 2.30pm at County Hall .