Situated in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the site would be a tempting prospect for developers.
It was originally bought by the Western Synagogue, which merged with Marble Arch Synagogue some years ago to form the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, which is an associate member of the United Synagogue.
But the WCF remains an independent charity responsible also for cemeteries in Cheshunt, Edmonton and Streatham.
The JC understands the Beth Din based its objections to any sale on two main grounds.
According to Jewish law, the remains of a person should be removed only in the case where they left instructions to be buried somewhere else. That would be hard to establish for all those interred in an old cemetery.
The dayanim were also worried about any precedent that might encourage developers in a place where there was no longer an active Jewish community to believe it would be acceptable to move remains.
The Fulham Road Cemetery was restored during the mid-1890s according to the charity Parks and Gardens UK but remains “hidden and inaccessible to the public” behind a high brick wall.
According to London Cemeteries; an Illustrated Guide and Gazeteer, it is more “reminiscent of Prague than London”.
