Manchester's Jewish cemeteries are seeing through major repairs and redevelopment.

Crumpsall burial board members hope local councillors will not oppose a planning application submitted last week which would lead to £75,000 worth of repair work to the ageing ohel, paths and grounds. A deal with a major social housing landlord to sell off land unsuitable for burials for 90 homes would raise hundreds of thousands of pounds. The scheme has the support of Manchester City Council's planning department, but could be contested by local councillors.

New paths have been laid at Failsworth cemetery, in east Mancheser, which dates back to 1919, along with a new memorial garden completed this week. New paths and new handrails have been installed at Rainsough cemetery in north Manchester. The work was carried out after complaints that paths were treacherous and overgrown with weeds.

Forty headstones deemed dangerous at Agecroft and Rainsough cemeteries remain in crumbling condition.

Brian White of the Rainsough Charitable Trust, which is overseeing the developments, said if councillors opposed the Crumpsall application, "they would be denying people much needed social housing and a plan which has the full support of Sir Howard Bernstein at the council".