THE majority of people asked about plans to set up an eruv in the borough have responded in favour, to date.

The Trustees of Woodside Park Synagogue in North Finchley have applied to Barnet Council for planning permission to erect the eruv which would cover four square miles encompassing Whetstone, Oakleigh Park and Totteridge, as well as parts of Finchley.

The Sabbath is a day of rest for Orthodox Jews, and as a result they do not cook, watch the television, listen to the radio or carry things including crutches or a walking stick from Friday evening to Saturday An eruv is defined by physical boundaries such as roads and Tube lines, as well as poles strung together with wire within which Jews are permitted to carry items on the Sabbath.

So far the council has received 32 responses in favour of the plans and 21 against.

Jo Dowling of Holden Road, Woodside Park said: “I don’t have a huge problem with it – I know some people in the Jewish community say it will create a ghetto. But it will enable people who are very religious Jews to get out and about more and mean they can visit family and friends and attend the synagogue.

“I think it will also be emancipating for women because they tend to stay at home with their children because they can’t carry a child.

“At the end of the day it’s a couple of wires and pieces of string – most people won’t be aware it’s there.”

The trust proposes to put up poles, wooden gateways, or 1m high posts known as "leci" at 34 points across the borough including the railway bridge in Friern Barnet Road close to the junction with Station Road, and adjacent to Dollis Valley Green Walk between Brookmead Court and Totteridge Lane.

Talking about the affects it could have in the area Craig Thompkins, branch manager at Martyn Gerrard Estate Agent in North Finchley, said: “House values within the area may increase because you’d have more Othodox Jews wanting to move into the eruv and they’d be bidding against each other to buy properties.

“It could also help business in North Finchley because at the moment there’s a lot of shops which are to let or closed down - perhaps more Jewish businesses would move to the area.”

Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk at Finchley Progressive Synagogue said: “The eruv does not affect us in any way because we do not follow the same rules, but we support our Orthodox neighbours for needing something that on the whole doesn’t have any adverse impacts for local residents.”

To find out more about the plans or to have your say visit the council’s planning portal at http://planningcases.barnet.gov.uk/planning-cases/acolnetcgi.exe The planning application number is B/03356/11.