Welput’s proposal for a skyscraper by Bevis Marks Synagogue in Aldgate was rejected by the City of London Corporation last December
Bevis Marks Synagogue was built in 1701 and is the oldest continuously-run synagogue in the UK(Image: Dan Dennison/Getty Images)
A developer hoping to overturn the refusal of its application to build a 43-storey office block by a historic London synagogue has withdrawn its appeal. Real estate fund Welput filed its request with the Planning Inspectorate as it fought to revive plans for the tower by Bevis Marks Synagogue in Aldgate.
The scheme, which would have involved the demolition of Bury House and the redevelopment of Holland House, was turned down by the City of London Corporation late last year due to concerns about the impact on the synagogue. Bevis Marks, the oldest continuously-run synagogue in the UK, had warned the skyscraper would overshadow the site and affect the ability for its practitioners to worship.
Rabbi Shalom Morris of Bevis Marks was contacted but was unable to provide a comment ahead of publication. Welput was also approached. Welput’s plans sought to demolish Bury House and replace it with the 43-storey tower, providing offices as well as community and creative facilities.
These would have included spaces in the Grade II-listed Holland House, with a series of public realm benefits also proposed. The application, which was an amended version of a submission for a 48-storey tower refused by the Corporation in 2021, attracted significant feedback with more than 1,400 objections filed.
The primary concern was the expected impact on Bevis Marks, which received support from figures including the UK’s Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, and historians Sir Simon Schama, Tom Holland and Simon Sebag Montefiore.
Among the synagogue’s fears was that the proposed tower would crowd out the view of the sky.
This is because a clear view of the night sky and the moon is necessary for Jewish worship, as well as maintaining the synagogue’s light during the day and preserving its historic setting.
Rabbi Morris and others attended the hearings into the City of London Corporation’s draft City Plan 2040 earlier this year and raised further fears about the impacts of future development on the historic site.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed in October that Welput had lodged appeals with the Planning Inspectorate for both Bury House and Holland House in a bid to overturn the Corporation’s refusal. An ‘event date’ was provided for the Bury House entry of February 3, 2026.
Both items have however now been updated with a note stating ‘complete: appeal withdrawn’.
A City of London Corporation spokesperson said: “In December last year, the City Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee carefully considered representations both for and against the proposed development at 31 Bury Street. Following lengthy debate, the Committee refused the application.
“The City has been informed by the Planning Inspectorate that an appeal submitted by the applicant earlier this year, has been withdrawn.”
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