Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application which seeks the conversion of offices to form either 13 serviced apartments (sui generis) or 13 flats (C3) including internal and external alterations, and Listed Building Consent, Application No. 16/01802/LI for internal and external alterations to form 13 flats or serviced apartments, at Claremont, 23 Clarendon Road, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9NZ

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which sets out details of an application which sought the conversion of offices to form either 13 serviced apartments (sui generis) or 13 flats (C3) including internal and external alterations, and Listed Building Consent, for internal and external alterations to form 13 flats or serviced apartments, at “Claremont”, 23 Clarendon Road, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9NZ

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

The Chief Planning Officer together with the applicant’s representatives addressed the Panel, speaking in detail about the proposal and highlighted the following:

·  The application site is Claremont (No. 23 Clarendon Road), a Grade II listed building, within the Woodhouse-Hanover Square-Woodhouse Square Conservation Area, and adjacent to the Woodhouse-Clarendon Road Conservation Area. The garden wall to Clarendon Road and Kendal Lane is also Grade II listed

·  The proposal is for the conversion of the existing Yorkshire Archaeological Society (YAS) and Thoresby Society offices to 13 serviced apartments (sui generis) or 13 flats (C3 residential).

·  The revised proposal consists of 2 two-bed flats, 7 one-bed flats and 4 studio flats or serviced apartments, arranged in a configuration that would preserve the existing room layout of the building. The scheme would operate for either use without further works to the building being necessary.

·  Interior features of interests

·  Principle of the use

·  Impact on the special character of the Listed Building and the character and appearance of the Conservation Area (Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990)

·  Amenity of future residents

·  Use of obscure glazing

In response to Members comments and questions the following were discussed:

·  It was noted by Members that the Leeds Civic Trust had withdrawn an earlier objection

·  Members took the view that many of the proposed alterations were necessary. 

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

·  Members were supportive of the development, commenting that it was an interesting and exciting building which contained many historic features and that sensitive restoration was required

·  The management of the building should be retained as a whole

·  There was slight concern about the bathroom pods and how they interacted with the rest of the building

In responding to the issues raised; the Chief Planning Officer/ applicant’s representative confirmed that whether used as serviced apartments or as general flats, the building would be managed as a whole and this requirement would be incorporated  within the approved management plan (Condition No.4 refers). Referring to the bathroom pods these were set below the ceiling heights and existing detailing were placed to avoid windows

In summing up the Chair said, what was being proposed was a sensitive restoration of the building and Members were supportive of the proposals.

RESOLVED –

(i)  That Application No. 16/01801/FU be deferred and delegated to the Chief Planning Officer for approval in principle, subject to the conditions specified in the submitted report (and any others which he might consider appropriate) and following the expiry of statutory advertisement period terminating on 2nd February 2017.

(ii)  That application No. 16/01802/LI be deferred and delegated to the Chief Planning Officer for approval in principle, subject to the conditions specified in the submitted report (and any others which he might consider appropriate) and following the expiry of statutory advertisement period terminating on 2nd February 2017.