Agenda item

Further to minute 112 of the City Plans Panel meeting held on 22^nd January 2015, where Panel considered a position statement on an outline application for mixed use redevelopment including A1, A3, A4 and A5 uses, offices (B1), residential (C3), medical centre (D1), college (D1), student residential accommodation, multi storey car park, basement car parking, access and open space, to consider a further report of the Chief Planning Officer setting out the formal application

(report attached)

Further to minute 112 of the City Plans Panel meeting held on 22^nd January 2015, where Panel considered a position statement on a mixed use development at Quarry Hill, the Panel considered a further report setting out the formal application

  Photographs, including an historic image of Quarry Hill flats, graphics and plans, including a sun path diagram were displayed at the meeting.  A Members site visit had taken place earlier in the day

  Officers presented the report which sought outline approval for a major mixed use scheme and provided information on the context of the site in relation to existing and proposed development, including Victoria Gate which was well under way

  Details of the scheme were outlined, with these including vehicular and pedestrian access; scale and massing of the blocks; car parking provision;  landscaping treatment; levels of open space and the range of uses proposed for the different buildings on the site.  The flexibility of the scheme was stressed with some blocks being designated different possible uses, e.g. office or college use

  The receipt of a letter of support from West Yorkshire Playhouse was reported and read out to Members

  Members were also informed that in terms of the footbridge over the A64(M), the applicant had agreed to fund the works to £50,000, with this to be included in the S106 agreement

  Members discussed the application and in response to questions from the Panel additional information was provided in respect of:

·  the location of the closest bus stops on York Road.  These were highlighted to Members

·  the proximity of the site to the Cultural Quarter of Leeds and whether the development added to this.  Members were informed that the proposed mix of uses in the application were acceptable for the site, however if a different, more cultural use came forward for part of the site, subject to the view of Panel, this in general terms could be acceptable

·  the height of the buildings and whether a wind analysis had been undertaken.  The Principal Planning Officer advised that the detailed design of the proposals including building entrances, public seating areas and landscape arrangements would need to be informed by further wind testing at the Reserved Matters stage.  However, the Council’s independent wind consultants had confirmed that that the submitted wind study demonstrated that the proposals, subject to detailed design, would achieve an acceptable wind environment

·  local employment and the need for those wards closest to the site, which included Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, to benefit from the jobs being created through the scheme.  The Deputy Area Planning Manager outlined the established process of securing local employment, through the Council’s Jobs and Skills team

·  possible flooding issues.  The Panel was advised that a flood risk assessment and drainage strategy had been assessed and that technical conditions were included on the outline application to address these issues

·  concerns about the phasing of the proposals and the need to ensure the other uses around the site were not impacted upon

·  car parking provision.  Members were informed that as part of an existing agreement, the developer, Caddick, was required to  provide 500 public car parking spaces on the Quarry Hill site.  However, if the car park at Victoria Gate was completed first and it could be demonstrated that there were sufficient public parking spaces to serve the area, the public car park on Quarry Hill might not come forward.  It was stressed that in addition, there would be up to 600 private parking spaces to serve the development

A detailed discussion took place on the car parking provision with

concerns being raised relating to:

·  the level of disabled parking being provided

·  the level of short stay car parking spaces being guaranteed for West Yorkshire Playhouse after 6.00pm, but that events and matinee performances took place at the theatre

·  concerns that the cost of parking to attend WYPH would increase

·  whether sufficient car parking was being provided for the uses on the site

·  the possibility that the 500 public parking spaces on Quarry Hill could not be delivered

·  the existence of coal on the site; the possibility that this would require removal and the implications of this on car parking provision during any removal works

The issue of the phasing of the development was raised and the

Chair invited representatives of the developer to provide information on this

  The applicant’s agent addressed the Panel; responded to Members’ queries and comments and provided information which included:

·  that the development was a market-led proposal and that active discussions were taking place with possible providers regarding the multi-storey car park and the college

·  that the development was a 10 year scheme and it was not yet possible to indicate which phase would come first.  Reference was made to the timescales set out in proposed conditions 2 and 3, with Members being informed that the applicant would not let those timescales slip

·  that if a multi-storey car park was not required, an alternative use, possibly a cultural use could be considered and that if it was required, it would need to be fitted into the phasing of the development

·  that the site had an active car park use and this would continue, with a condition being proposed to deal with the temporary landscaping on areas which were not proceeding.  The Design Team Manager  suggested that Members would benefit from seeing the landscaping proposals being tied into the phasing plan to ensure elements of the site which were not being developed did not appear as a building site throughout the life of the build.  The Deputy Area Planning Manager referred to the success of the Wellington Place development where plots which were not coming forward for development in the early stages of the scheme were utilised for a range of temporary landscaping  and uses

·  that the Quarry Hill Stakeholders Group met regularly to consider how the whole of the development on Quarry Hill would come forward, including the schemes which already had planning consent to ensure there was joined-up thinking to the approach being taken for the site

·  an indication of how the site would be progressed, from the initial engineering works, to securing tenants/providers for the uses to working up a phasing plan based on those confirmed uses and that there was a real proposition of early building taking place on the site, although the need for flexibility was stated

The Chair thanked the applicant’s agent for the information he had

Provided

  The Panel continued to discuss the application, with the main issues being raised relating to:

·  the need for greater clarity on the timescales for the development and greater commitment on the part of the developer, particularly in view of a scheme for the site originally being presented in 2005

·  the impact on WYPH of a 10 year building programme for the site

·  that a clear phasing programme was required and that currently there was a lack of certainty that a development for the whole of the site would be achieved

·  the levels of sunlight across the site, with concerns that much of the north-facing blocks would remain in the shade for much of the day and that consideration should be given to re-orientating the buildings towards the sun

·  car parking provision on this scheme; that a multi-storey car park was felt to be integral to the scheme and that it was not likely that the John Lewis car park would have spare capacity and that there did not seem to be an incentive to commence work on the site until the John Lewis car park had been completed.  The Deputy Area Planning Manager advised that the existing level of public car parking would be maintained but if it could be demonstrated that demand for public car parking was not there, Caddick could be relinquished from the existing agreement.  The Panel’s legal adviser confirmed that the existing agreement safeguarded the Council’s position regarding delivery of a multi-storey car park and that it would be for Panel to consider if this should be varied as a result of assessments on the capacity of the John Lewis car park once it was operational

On this specific issue, the Chair invited another of the developer’s

representatives to address Panel, with Members being informed that much work had been undertaken on the development agreement and that the multi-storey car park would be delivered as the first phase, subject to supply and demand

  The Chief Planning Officer informed Members that an outline permission would give certainty and be beneficial in moving the scheme on.  There was also the possibility of tightening up some of the conditions regarding maintenance of car parking.  In terms of phasing, an amendment to the wording of condition 1 was suggested, whereby the wording of this condition was preceded by the phrase ‘ Within six months of the grant of planning consent ….’

  The Panel considered how to proceed

  Whilst welcoming the suggestion of revised wording, concerns remained about aspects of the scheme and the uncertainty regarding the phasing of the development; the car parking and how this worked with the John Lewis car park.  It was accepted that there were no concerns regarding the proposed uses for the site; the massing or the masterplan.  It was also confirmed that if outline consent was granted, the Reserved Matters application for each phase would be presented to Panel

  RESOLVED -  To note the Panel’s general satisfaction with the form of development but that a further report be presented in due course on the application to include the phasing plan, with details of the temporary landscaping proposals and how they related to the phasing, together with evidence of the developer’s commitment to early delivery of this scheme in writing

  Following consideration of this matter, Councillor Khan left the meeting