Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer setting out a position statement in respect of - 15/07655/OT  - Outline planning application with all matters reserved except the means of access for the creation of a new community comprising up to 1,100 dwellings, a new food store (A1) (up to 2,000sq.m) a new local centre (A1- A5 and D1 and D2) (up to 1,300 sq.m), a new school and areas of public open space, together with the means of vehicular access at land To East Of Junction 45 Of The M1 Motorway And South Of Pontefract Lane ,Leeds.

Further to minute 83 of the meeting held on the 17 December 2015 the Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an Outline planning application with all matters reserved except the means of access for the creation of a new community comprising up to 1,100 dwellings, a new food store (A1) (up to 2,000sq.m) a new local centre (A1- A5 and D1 and D2) (up to 1,300 sq.m), a new school and areas of public open space, together with the means of vehicular access at land to the East of Junction 45 of The M1 Motorway And South Of Pontefract Lane ,Leeds.

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:

·  An introduction to the Scheme

·  Details of the site and its surroundings

·  The proposal for the development

·  The planning history

·  History of the negotiations

·  Public/local response

·  Consultation responses

·  Details of the relevant Planning policies

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

• Secondary access to the site
• Primary and secondary school provision including the cost of potentially transporting children to schools away from the area prior to the construction of schools at the site.
• The isolated nature of the site and that the necessary schools, shops and community facilities will not be on site from day one.
• Provision at the site of community facilities for older people and facilities that provide entertainment and also places for faith/worship.
• An improved balance of residential properties including 1 bed properties. 
• Employment opportunities for local people.

In drawing the discussion to a conclusion Members provided the following feedback:

·  Members felt it was important that in coming forward as a residential development it should be as a sustainable community, there were concerns expressed as to the deliverability of the scheme.

·  In terms of the commercial use of the site Members felt they required more detail in terms of size and proposed usage and whether the proposed commercial uses at the adjacent service station would undermine the viability of the commercial uses on this site.

·  Members made comments in respect of the general layout of the

   development and the design parameters outlined as follows;

a) The layout didn’t reflect what Members would expect, in particular officers should have regard to Members previous comments on other developments such as the Seacroft Hospital site to ensure this does not become another ‘beige alley’

b) The need for a mixture of housing types including housing for older people/1 bed accommodation/and for community facilities.

c)  The need for innovative architecture and modern high quality design such as the approach at the Kirkstall Forge site

d)  The concern that some homes were near to the Motorway

• Environmental Health impacts were of concern with regard to the relationship between the development site and the landfill site.
• In respect of the design of the proposed means of access consideration should be given to secondary access.
• The provision of primary and secondary schools on the site should be at an appropriate time to allow the development to succeed.
• Members commented on the general scope of the Section 106 Agreement and the proposed phasing of the development in that Members felt the provision of 100 properties per annum was too slow.

·  In addition to the comments above there were no other matters that members wished to raise at this time.

RESOLVED - Members noted the contents of the position statement and provided comment on the proposals and noted that a number of the matters were still under discussion and awaiting resolution, these being:

·  Traffic movements and public transport links and the sharing of a new access from the motorway into the site with the adjacent proposed motorway service area site

·  The relationship of the development to the adjacent landfill site

·  The on- site schools provision.

During consideration of this item Councillor G Latty left the meeting at 15.55