Agenda item

To consider a report of the Director of City Development on the work and priorities of the Conservation Team.

The Director of City Development submitted a report on the work and priorities of the Conservation Team.

The following officers were in attendance and responded to Member’s queries and comments:-

Richard Taylor, Team Leader Conservation, City Development

Steve Speak, Chief Officer, Strategy and Policy, City Development

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

·  reference to the buildings at risk register and clarification of the department’s role in relation to protecting those buildings which were at risk

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and confirmed that his department worked very closely with colleagues in the Asset Management Team in this regard)

·  temporary additional resources funded by the Area Committees to undertake conservation area review work which would cease if funding was not renewed from 1st April 2010. Members asked whether all Area Committees had funded this additional resource in their area  and if they had applied  for the continuation of these funding arrangements

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and informed the meeting that majority of Area Committees had taken part and that the department would be approaching  the Area Committees shortly in the new year, pointing out the benefits of funding)

·  clarification of the role of Area Committees in relation to dealing with specific requests for conservation area status

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and informed the meeting that Area Committees now had a duty to look at conservation areas in their Wards and to identify priorities as part of the review)

·  clarification of the location in relation to the historic battlefield identified in the list of ‘Protected Heritage of Leeds’ table

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and informed the Board that it was identified as Adwalton Moor which was located in the South West of Leeds)

·  the need to preserve Victorian buildings and sheds on farm land where rhubarb was grown

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and conformed that the listing of such buildings would be an English Heritage function)

·  the need to list more industrial buildings as part of our industrial heritage and whether the department had a definitive list of buildings which they would like to see listed

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and informed the meeting that there was no definitive list available.  However, they had helped English Heritage in the past with regard to the surveys of buildings, including mill conversions, etc.  He also referred to the ill-fated Heritage Protection Bill, where there was provision for local listing, and it was hoped that this Bill would be resurrected at some point in the future.)

·  clarification of how elected Members can obtain details of which buildings in their Wards are listed

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and confirmed that such information was available via the English heritage website at heritagegateway.org.uk)

·  clarification of a village design statement located in Roundhay and whether it was at the stage of supplementary planning guidance

(The Chief Officer, Strategy and Policy, responded and outlined the technical process.  The Board specifically noted that the planning department  was able to complete the work, providing such documents had gone through the appropriate supplementary planning guidance process)

·  clarification of whether there were any prosecutions pending in respect of offences for listed buildings

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and informed the Board that, to his knowledge, there were no cases pending)

·  clarification if anyone did spot checks on preserving back to back buildings or whether the department relied on the public to intervene in this area

(The Team Leader, Conservation, responded and informed the Board that this area was ad hoc, with some cases picked up as part of the review of the conservation area.  He stated that this was the remit of the Area Committees to identify such properties.

RESOLVED-

a)  That the contents of the report be received and noted.

b)  That the Board commends the work being undertaken by the Conservation Team.

(Councillor T Grayshon joined the meeting at 10.40am during discussions of the above item).