An historic Liverpool landmark still lies empty and in a worsening state of deterioration five years after development plans were approved.
The Greenbank Drive Synagogue, also known as the Ark Synagogue, was once the centre of the city's thriving Jewish community and is situated near to Sefton Park. It was built in 1936 and used by its congregation until 2007, with the building deemed “at risk” in 2010 and was a focus of the ECHO's Stop the Rot campaign.
Emergency work was carried out on the structure over the years before planning permission was granted in 2017 for a development that sought to convert the synagogue into 22 apartments with another 36 apartments on its grounds. The plans were put forward by Green Drive Liverpool Ltd which still owns the lease to the building, despite reports it was put up for sale on Facebook Marketplace in 2021 for £4.9m. A spokesperson for the company has told the ECHO the building was never put up for sale.
