Manchester Reform Synagogue has agreed a £15 million sale rather than a rebuild as part of a £200 million city centre development project fronted by Gary Neville.

The former England footballer turned pundit is planning a tower block in the St Michael’s area including apartments, offices, restaurants and a five-star hotel.

Initially, it was envisioned that the Jackson’s Row shul would be demolished and rebuilt as part of the development. But the shul has now agreed to sell and relocate to new premises in central Manchester.

However, it expects the sale to take up to three years to go through.

It is planning a consultation with members on what they would want from a new home and how best to spend the proceeds from the sale. 

Manchester Reform’s Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen described the change of heart as a “practical decision” and said the community was keen to move into new premises “sooner rather than later”.

Built in the 1950s, the Jackson’s Row site is not disabled or pram accessible and there have been problems with damp and other issues.

Rabbi Ashworth-Steen pointed out that the St Michael’s development had been “beset by problems out of its control to do with the economic recession and then Covid. 

“That just meant that things were going to be delayed and our building - as emotionally attached as we all are to it - is not functioning as we need it to.

“It’s falling down around us really so staying as part of the development as it gets new funders wasn’t an option anymore.” 

Support from members for the decision had been “pretty much unanimous”, she said.

But it had also been emotionally “really hard, even though it’s absolutely the right decision.

“I had my batmitzvah in the synagogue. I got married there. Many of us had life cycle moments in it.”