Alan Kimche
North West London Eruv
North West London Eruv
----------------------

In 1987, responding to the requests of his congregants, Kimche formed a committee to construct an [Eruv](/wiki/Eruv "Eruv") for the North\-West London Jewish community. The purpose of the Eruv was to allow observant Jews to carry within its boundaries on the Sabbath, and to allow those with limited personal mobility – such as families with young children, the elderly, and the handicapped – to enjoy unfettered mobility on the Sabbath. After encountering stiff opposition from some elements within London's [Ultra\-Orthodox](/wiki/Haredi_Judaism "Haredi Judaism") community, Kimche and the Eruv Committee enlisted the support of Dayan [Chanoch Ehrentreu](/wiki/Chanoch_Ehrentreu "Chanoch Ehrentreu") and the [London Beth Din](/wiki/London_Beth_Din "London Beth Din"), under whose auspices the Eruv currently operates.Cousineau, *Making*, p. 29

Over the following fifteen years, the Eruv Committee, under Kimche's leadership, succeeded in constructing the Eruv despite intense opposition from elements both within and without the Jewish community. In 1991 the committee applied for planning permission from [Barnet Council](/wiki/Barnet_London_Borough_Council "Barnet London Borough Council"),The civil authority under which most of the Eruv would be constructed. engendering fierce debates on the subject which dragged on for several years. On February 24, 1993, Barnet Council's Town Planning and Research Committee rejected the proposal by a vote of 11–7, a decision that was eventually overturned by a representative of the [Secretary of State for the Environment](/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_the_Environment "Secretary of State for the Environment"), whose report recommended the granting of permission to the Eruv Committee.Report by Inspector David Bushby to Secretary of State John Gummer MP, 30 November 1993\. File No(s). App/N5090/A/93/224571 and App/N5090/A/93/229477\. However, due to a variety of technicalities, the installation of the Eruv was postponed numerous times.

On February 28, 2003, the London Beth\-Din leased the six\-mile tract of land from the London Metropolitan Police for one pound and proceeded to officially complete the construction of the Eruv, thereby bringing the fifteen year saga to its end.Cousineau, *Making*, p. 1 The following day, on the first Sabbath in which the Eruv was in use, Ner Yisrael synagogue hosted a large [celebration](/wiki/Kiddush "Kiddush"), during which there was a spontaneous outbreak of singing and dancing.

In the two decades since, several other Eruvs have been constructed both in London and throughout the United Kingdom, most of which were granted comparatively swift and unobstructed approval.


Why was planning permission for the Eruv rejected by Barnet Council?