Agenda item

To consider the report of the Chief Planning Officer and receive a pre-application presentation on proposals for interim uses at the former Tetley Brewery site, Hunslet Road, Hunslet

This is a pre-application presentation and no decision on the development will be taken, however it is an opportunity for Panel Members to ask questions, raise issues, seek clarification and comment on the proposals at this stage. There is no opportunity for public speaking about the proposals outlined in the presentation

(Report attached)

The Panel received a presentation on pre-application proposals for the short term use of the former Tetley Brewery site, Hunslet Road, Leeds. Some Members had visited the site prior to the meeting and this presentation would afford them the opportunity to comment on and ask questions about the proposed future uses prior to a formal application being submitted. It was noted that no formal decision would be made at this meeting.

The Panel welcomed Mr R Bickers (Arup) and Miss P Hale (Project Space Leeds) on behalf of the applicant who provided the following general information:

-  Demolition had commenced on site, with 7 key buildings to be retained  including Tetley House which will be retained for use by Carlsberg staff

-  the 4 buildings of historical interest to be retained to the south of Crown Point Road were not included within this application

-  the proposals would contribute in the short term to the Leeds South Bank plans which proposed to open up land to the south of Leeds city centre to public use

-  the proposed cultural use of the Head Quarters (HQ) Building would generate footfall and encourage creative talent to remain in Leeds

The following specific issues were discussed:

Temporary car park –

• Provision of 900 temporary short stay spaces would support the expected increase of visitors to the city once the Eastgate/Harewood Quarter and Trinity developments were completed
• The car park would be closed from 12:00 midnight until 06:00 hours
• It would be well served by two high volume arterial roads
• The car park would include 3m wide pedestrian walkways, a quality planting scheme, CCTV and 24 hour surveillance

Connectivity

• The site was very close to the city and the proposed pedestrian walkways would provide through routes from the city centre to Clarence Dock and Crown Point

Greenspace

• The greenspace framed the setting of the HQ Building and Salem Church. The space was intended to provide external exhibition space and informal playgrounds as well as general outdoor amenity space

Integration

• This proposal could integrate the LCC Meadow Lane car parking spaces. If those spaces moved to the Tetley site, the Meadow Lane site could be redeveloped into green space in line with the Leeds South Bank Plan

Head Quarters Building

• The Art Deco style of the building would be retained and enhanced
• A change of use from employment use to artistic/cultural use was proposed
• The proposed ground floor café bar restaurant use would support the cultural and office uses to the upper floors
• PSL intended to relocate from their current base at Whitehall Road in order to expand the service they provided in the not for profit arts sector. Funding for the organisation was decreasing and this new base would afford them the opportunity to provide office space and exhibition space for hire
• The HQ building provided 4000 sqm over 5 floors as follows:

Basement – service area with large room to be available for functions

Ground floor – café bar restaurant – where most of the internal renovation works would be undertaken to restore the Art Deco style. The immediate external area would include a children’s play area

1^st floor – offices to let for creative purposes

2^nd floor – the high ceiling and roof lights provided a suitable area for exhibitions and displays, and the Boardroom is to be retained for corporate letting

Third floor – office use for PSL

Members made the following comments:

• Generally supported the provision of car parking space as this would support existing developments in the south of the city, however it was felt that suitable ways to break up the appearance of the car park should be found as this would be a very large flat open space
• Considered the balance of greenspace provision with the provision of car parking spaces with some Members seeking an increase in the area of greenspace
• Need to ensure quality landscaping and boundary treatment. Members commented that consideration should be given to the treatment of the existing wall and railings which were regarded as being too industrial and new boundary treatment should provide more open vistas which are appropriate to the proposed greenspace use
• Whether it was preferable to extend the greenspace around to the eastern side of the HQ building so that the HQ building became the central focus of the greenspace
• The need to develop a robust management plan to ensure future maintenance of the greenspace
• The re-opened Hunslet Road should be finished in a consistent surface to provide visual continuity for users of this through route
• Although the area was to be fenced for security reasons, this should be balanced with consideration of the proposed public use of the site
• Commented that the buildings to be demolished were extensions of those to be retained and there was some concern that the retained buildings would be left with blank facades. Consideration should be given to the treatment and appearance of the facades.
• Commented that there was support for the proposed re-use of the HQ building and expressed the view that as part of Leeds heritage, the HQ building should be open to the public. Members noted that PSL had considered participating in Leeds’ Heritage Open Days

The Panel broadly supported the proposals and noted that a statement of community consultation would be submitted with the formal application in due course. Members thanked the representatives for their presentation and

RESOLVED – that the proposals be noted and the comments of the Panel be noted