Bosses of an Orthodox Jewish boys’ academy which is ‘effectively homeless’ have applied for permission to convert a thee-storey block of flats in Salford into its new school. If approved, the scheme would see 80 boys in the Ahavas Torah Boys Academy move into the Victorian building on Bury New Road.
The planning application has been prompted by the school’s eviction from its current base in Salbec House on Winders Way. The building is owned by Manchester city council and agents for the school said in the application "there is a high degree of urgency in progressing this application, as the school is effectively homeless”.
Six classrooms and a large dining/assembly room are included in the application. A library and ‘other curricular facilities’ are also included in the plan.
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Hours of operation would be Sunday to Thursday, from 8.30am to 6.30pm and Fridays from 8.30am to 1pm. Off-street car and cycling parking are available at the front and rear of the property and the proposal also includes the widening of vehicle access from Bury New Road to enable ‘safer and more efficient movement of traffic’.
“Nearly all pupils would come to school by foot or bike,” said the proposal from E M Pickering Surveyors and Chartered Town Planners. “There is sufficient parking provision for staff.”
The application said many attempts had been made to find alternative premises, but with no success. “The site is ideally located for a bus route and shops,” the application continued.
“It is also centrally located for residents of the Orthodox Jewish community, whose pupils from Prestwich and Brought Park attend the school.
“Given the detached nature of the property, which is well spaced away from neighbouring blocks of flats, it is submitted that there would be no adverse effects upon the surrounding amenity with regard to noise and disturbance.”
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