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Dear Ms Depala,
Re: 21-storey tower, 33 Creechurch Lane, London EC3A 5EB, Ref 18/00305/FULMAJ; and 48-storey tower, Bury House, 31 Bury Street, London EC3A 5AR, Ref 20/00848/FULEIA
I have been contacted by constituents from the Jewish community in London about these two planning applications and their potential impact on the Bevis Marks synagogue. One resident writes: “Bevis Marks has totemic importance for the UK Jewish Community – as an Islington Jew I sometimes attend myself – but in any case I have an emotional attachment due to its place in the community's history.”
While I appreciate that neither the synagogue or the proposed buildings are in conservation areas, the synagogue itself is a Grade 1 listed building and as such should be protected from harm. Among the many representations and objections to both applications, is one from Historic England, which states: “The proposed 20 storey tower at 33 Creechurch Lane will cause further harm to the significance of the Grade I listed synagogue through development within its setting. […] This harm should be given ‘great weight’ as part of the planning balance in determining this application.”
I urge you to give due weight and regard to the many objections to both these applications and recommend that you do not approve them.
Yours sincerely,
Sian Berry
Green Party Member of the London Assembly