Agenda item

To consider the report of the Chief Planning Officer for a pre-application for the residential development of land North of Wetherby Road, Bardsey, Leeds, LS17 9BD.

 

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report outlining a pre-application presentation for a residential development of up to 150 dwellings and public open space at land at Wetherby Road, Bardsey, LS17 9BD. As this was a pre-application presentation there was no formal decision taken at this meeting.

 

The development site is to be located in the Green Belt which sits between the residential area known as The Congreves and The Drive within the village of Bardsey and forms the western extremity of the Braham Park Estate.

 

The landowner Nicholas Lane Fox of The Bramham Park Estate and his representatives Savills were at the meeting to present the emerging scheme for the residential development of a Green Belt site in Bardsey.

 

As the site was located within Green Belt the proposal constitutes inappropriate development. Therefore the Bramham Park Estate and their promoters put forward a case to demonstrate very special circumstances to try and overcome the principle of objection to new housing at this site.

 

Mr Lane Fox informed the Panel that numerous restoration and refurbishment works were required to a number of Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings located within the Bramham Park Estate, which is itself a Grade 1 Registered Park and Garden.

 

Members noted that the Estate contained a total of 27 listed buildings and structures which were considered to be of special architectural or historic interest. A list was provided at 2.3 of the submitted report.

 

Members were informed that Bramham hosts events including the Bramham Horse Trials and the Leeds Festival and that the house and gardens were open to the public by appointment, they hold 2 public services per month at the church and there are also public pathways and bridle paths across the estate.

 

Mr Lane Fox and his representative set out the benefits of the development on the site as:-

·  35% affordable housing on this site

·  7 hectares of public park

·  Improved drainage and reduced local flooding

·  Cycle access from The Drive

·  1 Main access point to Wetherby Road via  a new bridge over the beck

·  More bus stops

·  Reduction of speed limit on Wetherby Road to 30mph

 

It was noted that a public consultation event had taken place at which 220 people had attended. The representative said that the main issues raised at the event had been in relation to increased traffic, registration at local doctors and school places at local schools.

 

The representative informed the Panel that research had been done on the issues for concern and it had been found that the local school had a capacity for 210 pupils with 191 currently on roll. They informed the Members that some of the pupils currently attending the school were from outside the area. It was the view of the representative that CIL money could be used to provide more places at the school.

 

The representative informed the Panel that when enquiring at the doctors she had been informed that they were taking on new patients.

 

Members were informed that monitoring of the traffic had taken place by the applicant’s consultants including traffic movements, gradient of road, direction of traffic, speed of traffic and the size of the access.

 

Members noted that the development of the site would produce a net income of £8 million which would present a £2 million shortfall.

 

Members queried the assets in relation to the estate and were informed that the estate had 30 houses spread aross Bramham, Rigton and Clifford. The Estate also had 5000 acres of land.

 

In response to a number of questions in relation to funding for the restoration and refurbishment of historic structures Mr Lane Fox explained that he had considered a number of options including the National Trust but this would involve the estate being sold to them and he preferred to continue on at the estate and manage it.  He had also considered Historic England but this would result in the estate becoming fragmented, and Heritage Lottery Fund was only available to charitable organisations.

 

Mr Lane Fox told Members that if the repairs were not undertaken the structures would degenerate and eventually fall down. He said that it was the duty of himself as the landowner and Leeds City Council to restore the structures for future generations. He said that certain structures had been identified as requiring emergency repairs over the next four years.

 

In response to an earlier question Members were informed that there would be one entrance to the development and that it was envisaged that there would be up to 100 vehicles accessing the new development in the peak hours. However, it was noted that the representatives indicated that more details would be available at an application stage.

 

The Chair thanked Mr Lane Fox and his representatives for their presentation and said that there had been a significant number of issues raised which would need addressing and that the development was asking a lot of the local community given the concerns raised at the consultation event.

 

Councillor Rachael Procter Ward Councillor for Harewood and Mr Gittins a resident of Bardsey attended the meeting to share the concerns of the local community.

 

Cllr. R Procter informed the Panel that this site had not featured as part of the site allocation process as it was listed as amber or red for a number of reasons including :-

·  Ribbon development

·  Schools

·  Doctors

·  Flooding

·  Highways

 

Cllr. R Procter raised a number of questions including:-

·  What the benefits were to residents of Leeds once the structures had been restored

·  What were the finances of the estate

·  What was the rental income from properties held by the estate

·  Why the limited access for public opening

·  Need for the District Valuer to produce a report on management fees

 

Mr Gittins informed the Panel that he had been a resident of Bardsey for 41 years and although he did not live on The Drive he represented the residents of Bardsey. He said that he had fought for many years to save the Green Belt.

 

He informed the Panel that the residents had only been informed recently that the pre application was to be presented to the North and East Panel. He said that it had not provided him with sufficient time to prefer a full representation or deliver a petition of 200 signatures against the development. He told Members that the 200 signatures had been received from the 220 people that had attended the public consultation event.

 

Mr Gittins had produced a number of photographs which were shown at the meeting and included views of flooding in the area, the limited access for vehicles on The Drive and also a number of blind spots on the A58 close to the entrance that would be used to the development. It was also noted that there would be a separate access point at Margaret Avenue.

 

Mr Gittins raised a number of issues and concerns of local residents including:

·  The need to look at Historic England’s guidance for enabling development and judge the proposals against that

·  Flooding on the scale seen in previous years

·  Risk of localised flash flooding

·  Limited vehicle access particularly on The Drive

·  Dips in the road towards Collingham which cause blind spots

·  The fact that the development would include 3 storey dwellings of which there are currently none in Bardsey

·  The serious urban intrusion in the Green Belt

 

Mr Gittins did say that the cycle ways and footpaths would be a welcome addition to the area.

 

Mr Gittins raised concerns about two companies Standby Ltd and Winthorne Ltd who he cites as being part of the development.

 

Members noted that Harewood House Estate nearby offers discounted entry to local residents and that the Harewood Estate is open to the public for most of the year.

 

Local Ward Councillors informed the Panel that they had only been made aware that the pre-application was coming to Panel as they had attended the public consultation. Cllr. R Procter informed the Panel that she had attended the consultation meeting as a resident not as the Ward Councillor she said that there had been no leaflets sent to residents and she had only become aware of the proposal because she is the Ward Councillor.

 

Members were made aware that a location at Keswick Lane owned by the Catholic Church had been cited as suitably for 2 bed units.

 

Mr Lane Fox said that no public money was to be used for this scheme.

 

Members were reminded that this was a pre-application and that the Panel had debated the issues raised by both parties.

 

The Chair asked officers and the developers to consider all the issues raised by Mr Gittins and Cllr. R Procter before bringing the application back to Panel.

 

RESOLVED- That the report and the discussion be noted.

 

Members of North and East Plans Panel requested that officers and the developers consider the follow list of issues before coming back to Panel:

1.  Need for more details in the report including;

·  More information around special circumstances

·  Risk management of flooding

·  Maintenance and up keep of listed buildings

·  Income and expenditure of the estate

·  Objection details from residents group

·  More time given for objectors to make their representations

·  Green Belt boundary

·  Heritage guidelines

·  Documents signed

·  Structures listed on order of priority

·  What the estate intends to do to cover the shortfall in finance

·  Site allocation – red / amber listing

·  Finances of the estate

·  Private assets of the estate

·  CIL monies

·  Traffic and highways issues

2.  Works to alleviate flood risk including

a.  ground works

b.   impact on layout

3.  Housing types including;

a.  Affordable housing

b.  Sustainable / passive housing

c.  Bungalows, semi-detached, detached

4.  Sustainability of the development to include;

a.  Location of nearest schools

b.  How many cars envisaged using the access point on to the A58

5.  Need for specific information for Section 106 to include;

a.  Environment and flooding

b.  106 and CIL money to be discussed with Ward Members early in the process