Agenda and minutes

  The Chair welcomed back the Chief Planning Officer, Mr Crabtree, who had recently returned to work after a long illness

  The Chair thanked Angela Bloor on behalf of the Panel for her support of the Panel as clerk as this would be her last meeting as she was moving to other duties in the Governance Services Section

  The Panel paid tribute to former Councillor James Monaghan who had not been re-elected following the recent local elections.  The clerk was asked to send a letter on behalf of the Panel thanking James for all the hard work he had undertaken whilst sitting on Plans Panel City Centre

  The Chair then asked Members and Officers to introduce themselves

To declare any personal/prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct

  The following Members declared personal/prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct

  Applications 11/01000/OT and 11/01003/LI – Eastgate and Harewood Quarter and Templar House Lady Lane LS2

  Councillors Campbell, Nash and Selby declared personal interests through being members of English Heritage which had commented on the proposals (minute 92 refers)

  Councillor Castle declared a personal interest through being a member of Leeds Civic Trust which had commented on the proposals (minute 92 refers)

  Application 11/01194/FU – Former Park Lane College Building – Bridge Street and Ladybeck Close LS2 – Councillor Castle declared a personal interest through being a member of Leeds Civic Trust which had commented on the proposals (minute 93 refers)

  A further declaration of interest was made later in the meeting (minute 92 refers)

To approve the minutes of the Plans Panel City Centre meeting held on 10^th March 2011

(minutes attached)

  RESOLVED -  That the minutes of the Plans Panel City Centre meeting held on 10^th March 2011 be approved

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for an extension of Unit 1 to form additional self-contained workshop (B2)

(report attached)

  Plans, drawings and photographs were displayed at the meeting.  A site visit had taken place earlier in the day which some Members had attended

  Officers presented the report which related to a retrospective application to regularise works which had created an additional workshop at Mushroom Street

  The planning history of the site was outlined as was the view of Officers that the application should be refused on the grounds of increased on street parking and highways safety issues

  The Panel heard representations from the applicant and an objector who attended the meeting

  Members discussed the following matters:

·  the changes which had been made to the approved scheme

·  highways issues

·  the nature of the business on site and the need for larger premises

The Panel considered how to proceed

  RESOLVED -  That the application be refused for the following reason:

The Local Planning Authority considers that the retention of unit 1A results in a demand for parking which cannot be satisfactorily accommodated within the site causing servicing difficulties and an exacerbation of the existing level of on street parking on Mushroom Street to the detriment of highway safety and is therefore contrary to policies GP5, T2 and T24 of the Leeds Unitary Development Plan (Review 2006)

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer setting out the current position in respect of major redevelopment, landscaping, car parking and associated highway works together with a Listed Building application to renovate and repair external fabric of building

(report attached)

  Further to minute 96 of the Plans Panel City Centre meeting held on 26^th May 2010 where Panel considered an extension of time application for a major mixed-use development at the Eastgate and Harewood Quarter (EHQ), Members considered a position statement on a revised application

  Plans, including the 1847 plan of Lady Lane, drawings, photographs, precedent images and graphics including a fly-through were displayed at the meeting.  A model showing the site within the wider context of the city was also provided

  The Head of Planning Services introduced the report; briefly outlined the planning history of the development; referred to the latest round of public consultation on the scheme which had taken place in September 2010 and to a visit made by Members and Officers to Leicester in January 2011 to view the recently completed Highcross Shopping Centre which was developed by Hammersons, the applicant for the EHQ scheme

  Officers presented the report and revised scheme and informed Members that the proposals were for a reduced scheme which was considered to be deliverable and viable and whilst still being a mixed-use development, would no longer include housing; a cinema; a church drop in facility or a hotel.  The proposed uses were for retail stores, restaurants, bars and offices in use classes A1,A2,A3,A4,A5 and B1, gym (D2), medical centre, crèche and multi-faith prayer room (D2) with associated development comprising changing places toilet facilities; new squares; public realm; landscaping; car parking and associated highway works

  The boundary of the site had also been revised and would not now extend to the former Appleyard’s filling station or Millgarth Police Station.  As a result, the development was sited wholly within the Prime Shopping Quarter so fully conformed to the Development Plan

  The application which had been submitted was for outline planning permission with all matters reserved although a considerable amount of detail had been provided with the outline application

  A large number of objections to the proposals had been received, with 26 further representations having been recorded from those listed in the report.  An additional letter of support had also been received.  Members would be updated on representations at the time the application was before them for determination

  Further details were provided on the reduced footprint of the site which arose from the fact that Millgarth Police Station had not yet been vacated, although permission had been obtained for a new police headquarters on Elland Road and that Ladybeck culvert ran through the site and under Millgarth which had caused difficulties in obtaining the floorspace layouts required by the main anchor store, John Lewis.  As a result, the proposed John Lewis store would be re-sited on the Harewood side of the scheme, close to the markets

  Members were informed of the parameters for the heights of the individual units, with these ranging from 3-4 storeys to 10-12 storeys, with parameters existing for widths of buildings also

  The Panel left the meeting room to view the model which was displayed in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer setting out the current position in respect of an application to demolish all buildings and to erect a low carbon energy centre to include highway works and the realignment of Ladybeck Close

(report attached)

(Prior to consideration of this item, Councillor Taggart left the meeting_

Plans, photographs, drawings and graphics were displayed at the meeting

  A site visit had taken place earlier in the day which some Members had attended

  Officers presented the report and scheme which outlined proposals for a low carbon energy centre at Bridge Street/Ladybeck Close which although being associated with the proposed Eastgate and Harewood Quarter development, was a stand alone application and could be delivered independently of the Eastgate retail scheme

  The proposed Low Carbon Energy Centre (LCEC) would house a range of equipment including gas-fired boilers, a biomass boiler and Combined Heat and Power engine.  The LCEC would be controlled remotely but two car parking spaces had been included on site to allow for daily maintenance visits

  The external cladding would comprise three-dimensional metal triangles of varying size which would be coloured in earth tones.  The chimney which would be approximately 54m in height would be silver in colour

  Visual interest would be provided by a window at ground-floor level where passers by could watch some of the LCEC processes

  Members were informed that a concern raised by highways in respect of forward visibility from Ladybeck Close had been addressed

  Receipt of a letter from the new owners of Crispin House was reported which requested consideration be given to residential and visual amenity 

  Members commented on the following matters:

·  the weathering of the materials

·  the colouration of the cladding; that this was not earth-toned and that the references shown of other buildings in Leeds did not relate to the colour of the proposed cladding

·  the scale of the building and whether it was necessary to be as high as being proposed

·  that the metal cladding was reminiscent of the panelling on the Headingley Stadium with concerns that the joints would be visible, so leading to a less pleasing effect

·  that the design was at variance with surrounding buildings and was inappropriate in view of the close proximity to residential properties

The Civic Architect, Mr Thorp, provided the following responses:

·  that improved technologies in pigmenting pre-cast concrete enabled better colour retention so the materials would weather well

·  that earth tones had been considered as these would provide a richness which would avoid a monolithic effect, but the exact tones would be reconsidered with some samples being provided for Members’ consideration.  Mr Thorp suggested that the successful approach taken to the cladding on the Arena, by providing large-scale coloured panels be adopted for this scheme

·  that unlike Headingley Stadium the cladding would be cut diamond shapes which would also be perforated as ventilation was required

·  in terms of the design challenge, Members were informed that the three levels of the LCEC worked differently and that the design reflected that; at ground floor there was noise; at first floor there was less noise but greater ventilation was required with the top floor being the site of the coolers where there was an open roof.  In relation to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93.

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer informing Members of information sent to all Local Planning Authorities in England by the Chief Planning (Communities and Local Government) in respect of the national objectives in ‘Planning for Growth’

(report attached)

  Members considered a report of the Chief Planning Officer setting out information sent to all Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) in England by the Chief Planner (Communities and Local Government) in respect of the national objectives in ‘Planning for Growth’.  Appended to the report was a statement by the Minister for Decentralisation and further information on planning obligations

  The Head of Planning Services presented the report and informed Members that the Government was placing great importance on delivering sustainable growth and that LPAs were being asked to place significant weight on the need to secure economic growth when considering planning applications

  Members were also informed that consultation on proposed changes to use classes had commenced and that a paper on this matter would be presented to the Member/Officer Working Group

  Regarding the viability of schemes and affordable housing, Members were informed that a report on levels of affordable housing to be sought would be considered by Executive Board at its meeting on 18^th May

  RESOLVED -  To note the report and attached papers and to have regard to them in making planning decisions

Thursday 9^th June 2011 at 1.30pm

  Thursday 9^th June 2011 at 1.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds