Orthodox group fights to save Hackney project

“We went to the council with our plans before we went to the bank. They said they would support the project and recognised the need for a school and housing.

“We bought the site for £1.5 million and we wanted to comply with the council. We wouldn’t have spent that money lightly.”

Additional costs had totalled £1 million, she said after the hearing. The AIHA, which provides low-cost housing for Jews in London and Salford, has a list of 700 families wanting properties on the site. The association recognised that homes in the area were being used without permission as educational facilities. It argued that this problem would, at least in part, be rectified if the Lordship Road project was approved.

However, a council spokesperson told the appeal: “The floor-space does not maximise the education needs.”

Local residents opposing the scheme argued that approval would cause a significant amount of “noise and light pollution” and affect their quality of life.

Interested parties took a tour of the site on Wednesday morning. A decision is expected in the next few weeks.