Chasidic school could be shut over planning breach

A CHASIDIC boys’ school in Hendon has been warned by Barnet Council that it faces closure in July next year as it is does not have the required planning permission.

Talmud Torah Tiferes Shlomoh has also been told to stop holding simchahs and other community events from July

8 this year because of late-night disturbances to neighbours.

The independent school has more than 250 pupils aged from three to 15. It bought the former Hendon Reform Synagogue building in Danescroft Avenue for more than £6 million in 2017 and moved there in late 2019.

But the council has issued an enforcement notice, saying there was an “apparent breach of planning control” because the school had not obtained permission to change the building’s use to both a school and a space for social and community events.

It also issued a “stop notice” for functions to cease on the premises.

According to the enforcement notice, the change of use “and in particular the use of the hall as an events space, has resulted in activity that is out of character with the area”. Increased noise and late-night disturbance had caused “disruption to neighbouring residents”.

Its current use was considered “harmful to the amenity of neighbouring occupiers”.

The school has been given until next Monday to lodge an appeal against the enforcement, otherwise the council said it would have to close in 12 months.

TTTS — which was rated as good by Ofsted in 2020 — was approached for comment.

Use of hall as an events space had resulted in late-night disturbance