A Chigwell eruv - the first in Essex - is set to go live after a three-year development process.

Rabbi Boruch Davis of Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue said the religious boundary would come into effect on October 1.

It represented "a big boon" for the growing US community of 820 families.

Although some objections were made when the plans were originally proposed in 2010, the project had won acceptance.

"On one road, most of the residents wrote in protesting but the council dismissed it. Since most of the poles went up in January, we've had no protests I've heard of.

"We told the residents they wouldn't notice the poles and it seems that has been the case."

However, reaching the end of the process was "a relief. It hardly feels real because we had a number of false starts.

"We've had to deal with two councils, plus we had a garden centre [on the eruv route] which was suddenly demolished, forcing us to change our plans.

"Then there was a gated community we thought must be fenced," Rabbi Davis added.

"But it turned out there was a gap in the fencing because of a dispute over who would pay for it.

"That created a planning delay of six months and the need for a new set of poles and planning permission."