New plans have emerged to tear down a Gosforth synagogue and replace it with flats.
Developers have launched a bid to demolish the United Hebrew Congregation (UHC) synagogue and build a new apartment block in its place.
The latest plans for the Graham Park Road site come after Newcastle UHC agreed to sell the majority of its land there in 2017 due to its dwindling congregation size.
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A previous scheme was due to see 28 retirement flats built on the site, but housebuilder McCarthy and Stone dropped those plans due to a lack of public support.
Now Newcastle-based LOK Developments is instead proposing a three and a half storey block be built on the site of the synagogue, comprising 17 apartments.
A planning application lodged with Newcastle City Council states that the synagogue, built in 1986, is “of low significance and contributes little” to the Gosforth Conservation Area, adding that trying to convert it into housing rather than demolish it would be a “costly and complex process”.
The synagogue was built to hold congregations of around 300, but was only attracting around 50 worshippers when the deal to sell the land was struck in 2017.
The redevelopment plans would see the UHC move into the adjacent Lionel Jacobson House, while a 19th century lodge house on the site would also be turned into a standalone two-bed home.
Developers say that a “sustainable, contemporary design” for the proposed new flats would “add more to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area than the retained and converted synagogue”.
The planning application states: “The applicant, Newcastle-based LOK Developments 07 Ltd, sees the opportunity for a high-quality residential apartment scheme on the site, responding to the reported demand for that type and status of accommodation in this part of Gosforth.
“Redevelopment of the site will enable UHC to proceed with their plans for Lionel Jacobson House, ensuring the continuation of the congregation at Graham Park Road.
“The proposals also present an opportunity for LOK to further showcase their ambitions in the residential marketplace and on sustainability.
“This opportunity follows the comprehensive transformation of Eagle Star House at Regent Centre, and development of the former Sanderson Hospital site on Salters Road, both within the same neighbourhood.”
