Agenda item

To receive a report of the Chief Planning Officer which details an application for or a residential development of 503 houses, conversion of former hospital administration block, demolition of Villa building, associated infrastructure including two new vehicle access points to A64, public open space and retention of Clock Tower on land at Seacroft Hospital, York Road, Leeds, LS14 6UH.

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which detailed an application for a residential development of 503 houses, conversion of former hospital administration block, demolition of Villa building, associated infrastructure including two new vehicle access points to A64, public open space and retention of Clock Tower on land at Seacroft Hospital, York Road, Leeds, LS14 6UH.

Site photographs and plans were displayed and referred to throughout the discussion of the application.

Officers highlighted the design changes that were proposed following the comments of Plans Panel on 24^th March 2016.

The issues highlighted in relation to the application included the following:

• Design workshops had been held with the applicants, the outcome of which was to re-appraise the approach to some of the design detail;
• The Manston Block had been revised to incorporate fenestration detailing and string courses that were more reminiscent of the retained Administration Block. In order to provide symmetry to the building, a further two units had been added which can be accommodated without any adverse impact to the retained trees or the remainder of the layout;
• The dwellings to the south of the Grade II Listed clock tower are now proposed to be faced with an ochre render and a stone finish, rather than white render and red brick;
• The design of the house types has been reviewed, with the introduction of more vertical emphasis to the front elevations, incorporating front projections with doors and windows, pitched roofs over dormers and the introduction of decorative chimneys to some of the buildings at key moments in the street scenes;
• Amendment to the design of the apartment building (Block 01) by omitting the turret feature to the corner and replacing it with a finally expressed gable form; and. Further consideration had been given to the use of materials given Members’ previous concerns - render around the base of buildings and excessive use of buff brick, when red brick is more characteristic of the locality. The render is to be removed around the base of buildings, including Block 01 and is to be replaced with brick. Whilst details of exact materials are yet to be agreed, the applicants are willing to move towards red brick as the dominant material. Design analysis has been undertaken of the forms of buildings across the development in order to inform how materials should be used.

In response to Members comments and questions, the following was discussed:

• Clarification that the number of houses to be built would be 503 due to the increased size of the Manston Block. Previously 501 dwellings had been planned;
• The difference between the new designs for the Manston Block and the previously submitted designs;
• The dimensions of the balconies and garages were considered; and
• That the possibility of a school being built on land next to the development was still subject to on going discussion with the relevant parties.

The Head of Planning Services addressed the Panel commenting that the size of the garages on the development would be adequate to park a car in. He also confirmed that regular dialogue would continue with Ward Members noting that it is highly likely that there would be changes as the development went along and that this site was a key part of the Council’s housing land supply.

In general Members felt that the changes made to the design of the development were good and an improvement on previous submissions.

RESOLVED – To approve the application in principle and defer and delegate the final decision to the Chief Planning Officer subject to the conditions and finalising the Section 106 agreement with the obligations outlined in the report and the appendix of the report (and such other conditions as he may consider appropriate).