A £4.5m “eco-synagogue” which aims to be one of London’s greenest buildings has been given the green light.
Finchley Reform Synagogue (FRS) is planning to tear down its Sixties pre-fab in north Finchley and build a new zero-carbon synagogue, nursery and community centre.
According to the plans, approved by Barnet council, more than 90 per cent of the building’s energy will be produced by renewable sources.
It will be built using recycled materials, such as stone and timber, from sustainable sources, and underground passages and airtight walls will allow the building to keep cool without air conditioning.
The building has been funded by a mixture of private donations and charity fundraising, with work due to start this autumn.
FRS chairman Bob Humphreys said: “Our ambition is to be as energy efficient as we possibly can. We will need 10 per cent of the traditional energy we currently use.
“We have had to go through various stages to make sure everything was right. This investment is very much an investment in future generations.”
Project architect Julian de Metz from architects dMFK said: “It will be one of the most sustainable religious buildings in London.
“It is staggeringly better than building regulations ask you to be. It is one of the first religious buildings pushing that green agenda.
