ByJonathan Kalmus, Jonathan Kalmus
The north Manchester eruv has gained planning permission in two of the three boroughs covered by its boundaries.
Bury Council’s planning committee voted unanimously in favour of its part of the 13-mile eruv, comprised mainly of existing fences, which will allow observant Orthodox Jews in Bury, Salford and Manchester to carry items and push buggies and wheelchairs on Shabbat.
Of residents consulted by the council, 160 were in favour and just 10 against. One council officer branded the objections “spurious”.
On Tuesday, Manchester City Council followed suit, approving the scheme in a delegated decision. It received letters of support but no objections.
Manchester Beth Din’s Rabbi Yehuda Brodie spoke for the Jewish community at the Bury planning meeting. He said that “once all the applications have gone through and we have the final route, we can outline the halachic parameters.”
A petition across the three boroughs has attracted 1,000 signatures in support of the plans. In Salford, where around 20 residents have objected and several hundred are in favour, the council is due to rule next month.