Council tells Orthodox Jew to demolish home

The Jewish Chronicle reports: "A Charedi father must demolish his family home after losing a planning dispute with a council. Jacob Dreyfuss, president of Stamford Hill's Stolin-Karlin synagogue, rebuilt his two-storey home without planning permission, to add a cellar and a loft extension. Hackney Council issued an enforcement notice and he appealed against it without success.... and more"

Orthodox Jewish housing needs are likely to reignite as an issue in the elections this year. Six of Hackney's nine Conservative councillors are Orthodox Jews. Nine of the borough's 58 elected politicians are members of the Orthodox Jewish community.

Last year Mayor Jules Pipe suggested that one of these councillors had put OJ housing needs ahead of the wellbeing of the borough's other residents: "23,000 Hackney tenants used as a bargaining chip, Mayor Claims."