London – Environmentalists fear plans to extend a Jewish cemetery in Edgware could endanger wildlife in the area.
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Trustees of Belsize Square Synagogue have applied to extend the Edgwarebury cemetery as their section in the current site, shared by four Jewish communities, will be full within five years.
However, environmental groups say plans to convert nearly three hectares of field on the Edgwarebury Lane site would have a huge impact on local bat and bird populations.
The plans, which are recommended for approval by Barnet councillors, come before the Hendon area planning sub-committee next Tuesday.
Keith Conway, a spokesman for the synagogue, said: “There is a pressing need for a new cemetery as our allocation is almost full.
“When people go to visit loved ones they often like to be able to visit other people who have deceased, so it makes sense to extend the current cemetery for the community, rather than locate it somewhere else.”
Concerns raised in the planning document include trees being cut down, affecting roosts for pipistrelle bats and rare birds.
Among the objectors to the plans are the RSPB, the London Wildlife Trust Barnet Group and several local residents.
Other worries include the effect on traffic in Clay Lane and disturbance to many horse riders who use the area and the potential of ruining views across an area which is designated as green belt.
The meeting starts at 7pm at Hendon Town Hall.
these environmental nutcases you should all be aware, one day your day may come and you may have the honor of rotting on the streets for there will not be any place for you people to be burried in the local cemetery. one does not start up with dead people!
Many densely populated urban areas in the U.S. and Europe are simply running out of space for burials. If yidden want to retain their custom of in ground burial than they might as well get used to driving long distances to develop new cemeteries. We cannot cut down every last wooded area or develop every last open space within the city limits to accomodate religious burial preferences.
I was told in european countries a plot is rented not owned forver like in usa… after 50yrs they dig em up and reuse the valuable piece of real estate
The needs of the living take precedence over the needs of the dead.
I think the PETA , envirmentilist activists should have been born either sheep or chickens cause thanks to these organizations the animals have more rights than humans.also ,this way we can shect these idiots in a humane manner .
The townspeople have a right to have trees, open spaces and natural beauty surrounding their town. If Jewish people want to live there fine, but that shouldn’t trump the needs of the other townspeople. If I had a choice. I’d prefer nature to cemeteries too.
Basically, the whole reason for this is that people are lazy – they dont want to go to two cemeteries or drive further out.
They can easily create a new cemetery out of London, but because people, “like to be able to visit other people who have deceased,” they want to “extend the current cemetery … rather than locate it somewhere else.”
I fully understand that it makes more sense to extend an existing cemetery but only when it is not disturbing other things – like the living. When this cemetery was ‘built’, it was probably out in the sticks. Now that urban (and Jewish) development has reached the cemetery, the living should have more rights than the future dead.
Although I guess they are the same people!