02 July 2015, The Planning and Development team in Cambridge have had an appeal positively determined by a Planning Inspector, who has granted full planning permission for a mixed use development consisting of a sui generis aparthotel (133 units) 5 No Class C3 residential townhouse units, Class D2 community space, underground car parking (80 spaces) and cycle parking (150 spaces).

The scheme is to be erected on the residue of a site that used to house a primary school which relocated nearby, and a first phase of development comprising a care home was constructed by site owners, the TLC Group. The balance of the site, which now benefits from this permission, previously had permission for the erection of 67 flats, including 40% affordable housing.

The planning application made was initially refused by Cambridge City Council which was keen to see the site retained for residential purposes. However the Carter Jonas team, led in this case by Partner Colin Brown, was able to demonstrate both a strong need for the aparthotel use whilst also showing that the City Council’s housing delivery targets would not be prejudiced by the loss of the prospective, but unbuilt, 67 units.

Colin Brown commented “this is an important appeal decision given that the current Local Plan is shortly to be replaced by a new plan. We were pleased to be able to persuade the Appeal Inspector that giving up on the prospective 67 residential units brought about no harm to current or emerging development plan objectives, and the considerable need for this form of development was pivotal in the success of the scheme”.