Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer setting out details of an application for a seven storey mixed use development (A3 B1 and D1) with associated landscape, public realm and public art, amendments to public highways. demolition of  building on Fenton Street, garages on Back Ibbetson Place and Lodge, land At Lodge Street,  Fenton Street And Back Ibbetson Place, Leeds, LS2 3ED.

Further to minute 139 of the meeting held on the 12^th May 2016 the Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an application for a seven storey mixed use development (A3 B1 and D1) with associated landscape, public realm and public art, amendments to public highways, demolition of a building on Fenton Street and of garages on Back Ibbetson Place and Lodge Street,Land At Lodge Street,  Fenton Street And Back Ibbetson Place, Leeds ,LS2 3ED.

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

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

·  Further to the report the applicant has proposed that in order to meet  the policy requirement of replacement tree planting at the ratio of 3 to 1, they intend to comply with this by taking opportunities for planting  at the site, the wider city centre campus and off-site at their Bodington Hall and Weetwood sites.

·  The type of artwork that would be commissioned for the site.

·  Public Realm work

·  The type of materials used for the development.

·  Training opportunities

·  The timeline for the development

In response to Members comments and questions the following was discussed;

·  Tree planting – due to the site restrictions it was noted that it may not be possible to achieve 3 to 1 replacement planting on the site  however alternative planting sites would be identified (the policy does not preclude planting elsewhere). Members felt that a site(s) nearer to the development site would be preferable to ensure that greenery remained near to the City Centre (to benefit from Carbon capture), sites such as Woodhouse Moor and Royal Park were felt to be better alternatives than the suggested Bodington Hall and Weetwood sites. Also the replacement planting should seek to re-create the amenity value and visual impact of the existing trees to be lost.

·  Members acknowledged that it was not the role of this Panel to be arbiters of taste for any artwork although they did feel it would be helpful to look at proposals to be able to offer comment if they felt that the suggested works were not appropriate for the area.

·  Members asked that the public realm area matched the ambition of the development.

·  Members felt that the sum set aside for the monitoring and evaluation of the travel plan was modest (£5,800), in discussing the matter officers acknowledged that the formulae used to arrive at a figure had not been revisited for a while and this would be done to ensure that appropriate costs are being recharged. 

·  Members expressed some disappointment that they were unable to look at the materials that were proposed for the development and Members asked that materials be provided where possible.

·  Members asked that in future reports to Panel should include details of the proposed travel plan measures and details of how any development would be able to provide local training and/or employment opportunities for local people where relevant.

·  Members noted that the intended start date for this scheme was January 2017. 

·  Members requested the tidying up of the rear of the buildings fronting Woodhouse Lane.

Following detailed discussion on this matter it was

RESOLVED  -

To defer and delegate this matter to the Chief Planning Officer for approval,

subject to the specified conditions appended to the report(and any others which he might consider appropriate), and following the completion of a Section 106 Agreement to cover the following additional matters:

·  Access and maintenance of publicly accessible public realm areas.

·  A contribution of £5,800 towards the monitoring and evaluation of a Travel Plan.

·  The employment and training opportunities for local people.

·  Require provision of the planting of trees within the wider University of Leeds city centre campus or nearby Council owned land, to mitigate against the loss of existing trees required in accordance with Policy LAND2.