Cambridge synagogue appeal rejected by Planning Inspectorate

A planning inspector recognised "significant" public benefits of the redevelopment but said it would not outweigh the harm

Proposals to redevelop a synagogue in Cambridge would have an "intrusive" impact on neighbouring homes, a planning inspector said.

The Trustees of the Cambridge University Jewish Society appealed after the city council refused to grant planning permission for the building.

The society said the existing facility was no "longer fit for purpose".

The Planning Inspectorate backed the council, saying it would cause "unacceptable harm" to neighbours.

The council had also raised concerns about the "bulky" design of the proposal for the Thompsons Lane building, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Planning Inspectorate noted that the existing synagogue (right) was surrounded by "relatively diverse" buildings in the narrow road, off Bridge Street in the city centre

However, the government's planning inspector said they "disagreed with the city council's concerns about the design of the proposed new building".

They believed it would be "compatible with the relatively diverse surrounding" buildings and said it would make a "positive contribution to the street scene".

The inspector also said they recognised there were "significant" public benefits of the redevelopment.

They said the new synagogue would support the Jewish population in the city and said it was accepted that the current building was "not fit for purpose" due to it being "too small".

However, the inspector concluded in their report that these benefits were not enough to outweigh the harm it could cause.