®Planning appeal decision
Jewish Students Synagogue, 3 Thompsons Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8AQ
Planning appeal 3325645 at Jewish Students Synagogue, 3 Thompsons Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8AQ (Cambridge City Council) was dismissed on 11 March 2024 by Inspector Brownless E, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposed development on the living conditions of occupiers of dwellings on Portugal Place, with particular regard to enclosure and outlook.
Demolition of existing Synagogue and Jewish Community facility and erection of a new Synagogue and Jewish Community facility including replacement parking spaces and new cycle storage and associated works
- Authority
- Cambridge City Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Hearing
- Development
- community-institutional · Other minor developments
- Inspector
- Brownless E
- Postcode
- CB5 8AQ
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposed development on the living conditions of occupiers of dwellings on Portugal Place, with particular regard to enclosure and outlook
- whether the proposed development would preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Cambridge Historic Core Conservation Area (CA) with particular regard to the design and scale of the appeal proposal and its effect on trees
What decided it
The combination of significant harm to the living conditions of neighbours at Nos 25 and 26 Portugal Place and unresolved uncertainty over harm to retained trees (and consequently the conservation area) outweighed the significant public benefits of the scheme.
the significant harm to living conditions and the less-than-substantial harm to the conservation area (via uncertain harm to retained trees), both attributed significant weight, were not outweighed by the significant public benefits of the scheme, so the balance tipped against the proposal
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 55Policy 56Policy 57Policy 61Policy 71
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 135Paragraph 136Paragraph 208
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.