Letter to City of London about Bevis Marks synagogue

Dear Anna,

Re: Bury House 1 - 4, 31 - 34 Bury Street London EC3A 5AR, Planning Ref. 24/00021/FULEIA

I have been contacted by constituents from the Jewish community in London about this planning application and its potential impact on the Bevis Marks synagogue. Please accept my apologies for sending this letter after the deadline for comments – I was newly elected to my role as an Assembly Member just three weeks ago.

The sole synagogue in the City of London and the oldest in the country, Bevis Marks synagogue has a totemic significance for Jewish people living locally, across London and in the rest of the UK. As one constituent in the neighbouring borough of Islington told me: “as an Islington Jew I sometimes attend myself but in any case have an emotional attachment due to its place in the community's history.” Preserving the character of the synagogue is vitally important in making the City of London a truly inclusive place for people of all faiths.

While I appreciate that neither the synagogue or the proposed buildings are in conservation areas, the synagogue itself is a Grade 1 listed building of immense social and cultural value and as such should be protected from harm.

My constituents, however, fear the proposed development will irrevocably impact the character of the synagogue, both during construction and once the development has been completed. These objections have been laid out by concerned residents and groups, as well as by the Protect Bevis Marks campaign.

I urge you to give due regard to the many objections raised and
recommend you do not approve this application.

Kind regards,
Zoë Garbett