Decision details

The Committee received an application for retrospective permission for continued use for Friday prayers every week, and daily during Ramadan.

 

The application sought approval for a retrospective application for temporary continuation of use for additional assembly area for worship on Fridays (12.30pm to 2.30pm) and during Ramadan (midday to 2pm and 5pm to sunset).

 

The Principal Planning Officer referred to amendment sheets setting out revisions to conditions 5 and 6; plus minutes of the 16 January 2013 Development Control Forum regarding this application.

 

The Committee received a representation in objection to the application from Mr Davies.

 

The representation covered the following issues:

 

(i)             The application was a major shift in scale of Mosque facilities.

(ii)            Five hundred people were gathering in the space for two Victorian houses up to five times a day. This occurred 04:30 to post sunset. Residents felt this was a health and safety issue.

(iii)          The Mosque impacted on resident’s amenities, which conditions failed to control.

(iv)         Residents were told that the Mosque would have to break planning conditions to operate. There was an established precedent of the Mosque Management Committee agreeing to conditions to get retrospective permission then breaking them.

(v)           Residents had specific concerns regarding:

·       Noise from Mosque public address system.

·       General noise from traffic.

·       Parking issues.

·       Threatening behaviour by Mosque visitors towards residents.

·       Lack of City Council enforcement of planning conditions.

(vi)         Residents queried if planning permission could be withdrawn if conditions were not met. Also if the planning permission could be granted for shorter periods in future (if appropriate).

(vii)        Residents welcomed having a Mosque in the area, but it needed to be a better neighbour, and find an alternative site as it had out grown its current location.

 

Councillor Blencowe read a statement on behalf of Mr Mukhtar (local resident) in support of the application.

 

Councillor Meftah (Ward Councillor for Trumpington) addressed the Committee about the application.

 

The representation covered the following issues:

 

(i)             Councillor Meftah had been involved with the Mosque Management Committee since November 2012. It was their responsibility to ensure the Mosque was a good neighbour.

(ii)            Most Mosque visitors arrived on foot.

(iii)          Cyclists and drivers were encouraged to park responsibly.

(iv)         Residents had not approached Councillor Meftah to report concerns regarding the Mosque. He acknowledged the public address system in the Mosque was loud, but so was the public address system in surrounding buildings such as the Salvation Army. They all had the same issues eg parking.

(v)           Friday prayers and Ramadan were important for Muslims.

(vi)         Space was required to educate people. The Mosque provided this to help community cohesion.

(vii)        The Mosque hoped to move to a bigger alternative site in future.

 

Councillor Blencowe proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation requiring a management travel and liaison plan be submitted to the City Council for approval.

 

This amendment was carried by 6 votes to 0.

 

Councillor Blencowe proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation for condition 1. The length of permission was reduced to 2015.

 

This amendment was carried 4 votes to 1.

 

Councillor Blencowe proposed an amendment to the Officer’s recommendation for condition 3. Alternative wording was proposed: Delete ‘In the event that’; insert ‘Before any’.

 

This amendment was carried 6 votes to 0.

 

The Committee:

 

Resolved (by 6 votes to 2) to accept the officer recommendation to approve planning permission as per the agenda, subject to the following amendments to conditions. (Reasons for conditions to remain as published in all cases.)

 

Within three months of this decision, a management, travel and community liaison plan for the use of the application premises shall be submitted to the local planning authority for approval. 

 

Activities within 2 Tenison Road shall take place thereafter only in accordance with the approved plan.

 

Reason: To ensure that the use hereby permitted does not have an unacceptable impact on the residential amenity of neighbours or on the highway network. (Cambridge Local Plan (2006) policies 3/4 and 8/2).

 

Condition 1: Delete ‘01 January 2017’; insert ’01 January 2015’.

 

Condition 3: Delete ‘In the event that’; insert ‘Before any’.

 

Condition 5: Delete all and replace with this text.

 

The use of the ground floor of this site as an assembly area for prayers hereby permitted shall take place only on Fridays between 1200 and 1500, except during Ramadan, when the use is permitted on any day between 1130 and 1430 and between 1630 and half an hour after sunset.

 

The precise dates for the period of Ramadan shall be submitted to the local planning authority at least one calendar month before Ramadan begins in each year.

 

Condition 6: Delete all and replace with this text.

 

Within three months of this decision, a framework document explaining the educational activities to be undertaken on the ground floor of the application site, which includes details of the activities, the number of people taking part, and the times involved shall be submitted to the local planning authority for approval.

 

Educational activities during the times for prayer hereby permitted shall take place only in accordance with the approved framework document. Educational activities shall not take place on the application site outside the times for prayer hereby permitted.

 

Add new Condition 7:

 

Within three months of this decision, a management, travel and community liaison plan for the use of the application premises shall be submitted to the local planning authority for approval. 

 

Activities within 2 Tenison Road shall take place thereafter only in accordance with the approved plan.

 

Reason: To ensure that the use hereby permitted does not have an unacceptable impact on the residential amenity of neighbours or on the highway network. (Cambridge Local Plan (2006) policies 3/4 and 8/2)

 

Reasons for Approval

 

1.       This development has been approved, conditionally, because subject to those requirements it is considered to conform to the Development Plan as a whole, particularly the following policies:

 

Cambridge Local Plan (2006): policies 3/4, 3/7, 4/13, 5/12, 8/2, 8/6 and 8/10.

 

2.       The decision has been made having had regard to all other material planning considerations, none of which was considered to have been of such significance as to justify doing other than grant planning permission.

 

3.       In reaching this decision the local planning authority has acted on guidance provided by the National Planning Policy Framework, specifically paragraphs 186 and 187. The local planning authority has worked proactively with the applicant to bring forward a high quality development that will improve the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area.

 

These reasons for approval can be a summary of the reasons for grant of planning permission only. For further details on the decision please see the officer report online at www.cambridge.gov.uk/planningpublicaccess or visit our Customer Service Centre, Mandela House, 4 Regent Street, Cambridge, CB2 1BY between 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.