Institute Of Astronomy, Observatory Building And Library Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA Data via plota.co.uk

26/02486/LBC - Listed Building Consent Approved
Extensions & alterationsListed buildings

Proposal

Alterations to provide improved disabled access, alongside general maintenance works. The scheme comprises the following: new external ramp to the eastern side of the central portico, new external ramp to service the exterior door in the western facade of the building, with interior mat well removed, regrading of external site levels to service the exterior door in the eastern facade of the building, with interior mat well removed, mechanisation of exterior doors and rearrangement of toilet block within eastern wing to provide disabled wc facility. Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
30 Jun 2026
✓
Consultation
3 Aug 2026
✓
Approved
8 Sept 2026

Approved on 8 Sept 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 8 Sept 2026

Documents 10

Decision & officer reports 2

PDF DELEGATION REPORT Application Committee / Delegated Report · 8 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF DECISION NOTICE Application Decision Notice · 8 Sept 2026 View ↗

Statements & assessments 1

PDF PLANNING DESIGN HERITAGE AND ACCESS STATEMENT Design and Access Statement · 30 Jun 2026 View ↗

Application forms 2

PDF FEE CALCULATION Application Information · 30 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF APPLICATION FORM - NO PERSONAL INFO Application Information · 30 Jun 2026 View ↗

Consultation & comments 2

PDF Agent / Applicant Comments Agent / Applicant Comments · 10 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF BNE - CONSERVATION Consultee Comments · 4 Aug 2026 View ↗

Other documents 3

PDF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT LETTER Application Officer Correspondence · 14 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF SITE NOTICE Application Press/Site Notices · 14 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF ATTACHMENT SUMMARY FROM PORTAL Attachment Summary · 30 Jun 2026 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Associated applications 2

Site constraints 7

Grade II listed: The Observatory
List entry 1126156 · The pin is inside its outline · 3 more listed buildings within 150 m (3 Grade II)
Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.
Show the other 3 with distances
Historic England ↗
West Cambridge conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
Council document ↗
Also on the record
SSSI 390 m away: Traveller's Rest Pit SSSI; National infrastructure project 1719 m away: A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme; Inside the Cambridge (Cambridge) built-up area; Priority habitat 24 m away: Deciduous woodland; Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) had this area as grade 3, but it predates the buildings here and the current map does not class it as farmland.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 2 November 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Planning Inspectorate and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council
Cambridge
Application type
Listed Building Consent
Postcode
CB3 0HA
Received
30 Jun 2026
Validated
30 Jun 2026
Ward
Castle
Case officer
Show
Target decision
12 Sept 2026
Decision
Granted Permission
Decision date
8 Sept 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Carter Jonas LLP

How this decision compares

Decided in 70 days from validation, 16 days slower than Cambridge's median of 54 for extensions. Approved, as 96% of extensions here are.

81%decided within 8 weeks
96%approved
555decided in the last year

Plota live figures for extensions decided by Cambridge in the last twelve months, from validation. Cambridge decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

Last counted 8 Sept 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Site or press notice
3 Aug 2026
Statutory expiry
25 Aug 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

25 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2025 Approved
Churchill College, Churchill College Chapel Storeys Way Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0DS
Tree number 220 - Salix Alba - Works to be carried out re-pollarding of the tree back to…
25/0675/TTCA
2025 Approved
Churchill College, Churchill College Chapel Storeys Way Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0DS
Tree number 220 - Salix Alba - Works to be carried out re-pollarding of the tree back to…
25/0675/TTCA
2024 Approved
Greenwich House Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0TX
G1- 4x Holm Oak - Remove G2- T1 - 1x Whitebeam - Remove G2- T2, T3 - 2x Whitebeam - Remov…
24/0557/TTCA
2024 Approved
Greenwich House Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0TX
G1- 4x Holm Oak - Remove G2- T1 - 1x Whitebeam - Remove G2- T2, T3 - 2x Whitebeam - Remov…
24/0557/TTCA
2024 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy, Apm Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA
T1 Holm Oak - remove to ground level and grind out ready to replant.
24/0248/TTCA
2024 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy, Apm Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA
T1 Holm Oak - remove to ground level and grind out ready to replant.
24/0248/TTCA
2023 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy, Apm Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA
G1- Group of Laurels- re reduce to previous reduction points removing 2.5 meters to maint…
23/1497/TTCA
2023 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy, Apm Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA
G1- Group of Laurels- re reduce to previous reduction points removing 2.5 meters to maint…
23/1497/TTCA
2022 Approved
Greenwich House Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0TX
(T1) Cedar - crown raise to 2m in height - formatively prune branches outside the shape o…
22/1205/TTCA
2022 Approved
Greenwich House Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0TX
(T1) Cedar - crown raise to 2m in height - formatively prune branches outside the shape o…
22/1205/TTCA
2022 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA
Installation of the following: external card readers, internal maglock systems, internal…
22/01436/LBC
2022 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA
Installation of the following: external card readers, internal maglock systems, internal…
22/01436/LBC
2021 Approved
The Observatory Building Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0HA
Installation of a new internal doorway within solid masonry wall
21/03219/LBC
2021 Approved
The Observatory Building Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0HA
Installation of a new internal doorway within solid masonry wall
21/03219/LBC
2020 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0HA
Alterations to electrical power and IT data cabling, conduit and containment trunking upg…
20/01755/LBC
2020 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy, Hoyle Building Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0EZ
T1: Blue Spruce (in severe decline) - Remove to ground level.
20/1954/TTCA
2020 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0HA
(T1) Beech (Tag No.417) - Monolith to a height of 5m due to extensive decay caused by the…
20/1576/TTCA
2018 Approved
Greenwich House Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0TX
(T1) (Tag No. 0304) Beech - monolith to height of recent tear.
18/482/TTCA
2018 Approved
Greenwich House Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0TX
(T1) (Tag No. 0304) Beech - monolith to height of recent tear.
18/482/TTCA
2018 Approved
Greenwich House Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0TX
Erection of External Compound and Plant (to facilitate the relocation of the University's…
18/0534/FUL
2018 Approved
Greenwich House Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0TX
Erection of External Compound and Plant (to facilitate the relocation of the University's…
18/0534/FUL
2016 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0HA
Tag number 417 - Beech tree - carry out a 5 metre reduction of the tree on all sides.
16/544/TTCA
2016 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0HA
Tag number 417 - Beech tree - carry out a 5 metre reduction of the tree on all sides.
16/544/TTCA
2016 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA
Heating system upgrades to the whole observatory building for the Department of Astronomy…
16/0180/LBC
2016 Approved
Institute Of Astronomy Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0HA
Heating system upgrades to the whole observatory building for the Department of Astronomy…
16/0180/LBC
Cambridge
Planning Authority Score
8.3/10
Excellent
#18 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Other decisions

Cambridge is one of the fastest councils in England for householder decisions, ranking #21 out of 296. Only 26% of applications have the time limit extended, well below the 41% national average - the council usually decides on time. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (94%) than the national average (90%).

Among the fastest councils in England
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Cambridge decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
90%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #108 of 296
94%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #100 of 296
86%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #21 of 296
26%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #34 of 296
74%
Minor dwellings approved
86 decided (1-9 homes)
80%
Major dwellings approved
5 decided (10+ homes)
80%
Change of use approved
41 decided
1,014
Total decisions
100 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings