A SYNAGOGUE in Shipley may be demolished and replaced with a nine-home property development if planners vote in favour of the scheme tomorrow.

The Bradford Hebrew Congregation, which was based in the now-derelict Springhurst Road building, is seeking outline planning permission to flatten the site and build a terrace of four-bedroom properties.

And Bradford Council officers have recommended to Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Committee that initial approval is granted for the project despite 17 letters of objection compared to five in support.

Councillor Hawarun Hussain (Green, Shipley) is one objector who while in favour of some form of residential development, is critical of the current scheme, believing the new terrace would be too close to existing properties.

"The way in which the proposed dwelling is not in line with the existing dwellings will result in a significant loss of light for the residents.

"I would recommend therefore that the building is brought into line with the existing dwelling of surrounding areas, and also that a gap is created between the new build properties and the existing terrace," writes Cllr Hussain.

The residents of the most affected house have objected as their north-facing back garden would be robbed of light and views replaced by the walls of the new houses.

Other worries raised include the increase in traffic and vehicle pollution from nine four-bedroom properties.

Local resident Heather Roberstshaw voiced common concerns about the possible loss of open land outside the synagogue's fences.

"This common land is used by much of the neighbourhood and any incursion into it will be objected to vociferously," she wrote.

"The trees and brambles at the rear of the gardens of Scarborough Grove are a wild area affording shelter to hedgehogs and other wildlife and the destruction of this will break the wildlife corridor that enables the same access to gardens in the area.

"Also the bramble barrier is great security to the homes backing on to this piece of land and a source of the best tasting blackberries in the area," she states.

However the former president of the Springhurst Road synagogue, Albert Waxman, sought to allay fears over the loss of the open land, which he said was about the size of two tennis courts.

"This is not common land and although some people in the neighbourhood thought it was theirs, it does actually belong to us," Mr Waxman said.

"However although the architects originally included it with the development site, we will be leaving everywhere outside the synagogue fence alone as we respect the views of our neighbours.

"We have not applied to build on it and have also reduced the original plan from 16 properties to nine," he said.

Mr Waxman now 90, retired as president aged 88 and said the synagogue which thrived in the 1970s had closed as it could not raise the necessary ten local Jewish men needed to hold a religious service.