A Charedi family is waiting to discover whether their home will be demolished following a long-running dispute with a council.
Jacob Dreyfuss, president of Stamford Hill’s Stolin-Karlin synagogue, has appealed to overturn an enforcement notice imposed after he rebuilt his home without planning permission.
If he loses, Hackney Council will be legally allowed to have the house knocked down and rebuilt to its original dimensions.
On Tuesday, the government’s Planning Inspectorate heard details of the nine-year disagreement between Mr Dreyfuss and the authority over the extensions at the property in Lingwood Road, Stamford Hill.
The work included the building of a wall at the front of the property, enlargement of roof extensions at the front and back, raising of roof panels, and extensive alterations to the back of the house, including the construction of balconies on two levels.
Mr Dreyfuss had first applied in 2001 to extend the rear of the house and planning permission was granted the following year.
But he then extensively rebuilt the house, turning it into a three-storey property with a cellar, “substantially enlarging” on the plans accepted as part of the planning application.
The enforcement notice was served a year ago after retrospective planning applications failed.
Council officers said the roof extensions were an “excessively bulky and obtrusive development” and did not fit with the scale of other properties in the street.
Hackney asked the Planning Inspectorate to dismiss Mr Dreyfuss’s appeal in order to “protect the character and appearance” of the neighbourhood.
A council spokeswoman said she would not comment further until a result is delivered in the case. The Planning Inspectorate is expected to reveal its decision in the coming weeks, possibly before the end of February.
Mr Dreyfuss declined to comment.