Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application for residential development of 217 apartments and ancillary facilities with undercroft parking at the junction of Regent Street and Skinner Lane, Sheepscar, Leeds Leeds 2.

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an application for residential development of 217 apartments and ancillary facilities with undercroft parking at the junction of Regent Street and Skinner Lane, Sheepscar, Leeds 2.

Members visited the site prior to the meeting. Site photographs and plans were displayed and referred to throughout the discussion of the application.

Planning Officers addressed the Panel, speaking in detail about the proposal and highlighted the following:

·  Site / location/ context

·  The site had remained vacant for a period of 10 years

·  The building would be part 9, part 11 storeys in height, including a set- back top two storeys, the height in keeping with other buildings within the area.

·  The proposal is for residential development comprising 217 dwellings; 159 x one bed flats, 50 x two bed flats and 8x three bed flats (Correction to the figures listed within the submitted report)

·  Undercroft parking

·  Cycle and bin storage area

·  Accommodation begins on first floor level

·  Glazed active frontage at ground floor level

·  Materials – Glazing and tiles at lower levels, aluminium copper detailing, brick and lighter glazed materials on the upper floors

·  7% affordable housing

·  Discussions regarding wind micro-climate were ongoing between the Council’s wind consultant and the applicant’s wind consultants. The applicant’s wind study states that the proposal would not lead to additional wind safety issues in the surrounding area.

Members raised the following questions:

·  How many studio flats were proposed and what was the size of these flats

·  Referring to the housing mix, it was suggested the number of three bedroom flats within the proposed development (8) was very low and not in accordance with Council Policy

·  Could consideration be given to the use of living / green walls

·  What species of trees were to be planted and were there any proposals to include tree in planters

In responding to the issues raised, Planning Officers / the applicant’s representatives said:

·  Members were informed that there were 73 studio flats proposed, each studio flat was 37sqm in size and therefore in compliance with national space standards.

·  Members were informed that the policy in respect of 3 bedroom flats was 20%, however, this is a policy which applies City-wide and can be applied with discretion across the City.  It is not always achievable to achieve the 20% requirement within the City Centre and it was the view of officers that this was an insufficient reason to recommend refusal of an application in this instance, taking into account the local circumstances and demographic.

·  The applicant’s representative said the use of living / green walls would be considered.  Further, additional planting has been incorporated on the roof of the development and the main frontage.

·  Members were informed that predominantly cherry and rowan trees would be planted with sufficient root space to gather water.

In offering comments Members raised the following issues:

·  Members were generally supportive of the application

·  The housing mix required addressing strategically, loneliness was becoming an important issue and having a greater housing mix may address this issue.

The Chief Planning officer said that housing mix was under the remit of the Local Plans’ process which was reviewed every 5 years.  There will therefore be the opportunity to review this in the future.

The Chair suggested that the issue of housing mix be included as an item at the next meeting of the Development Plan Panel.

In summing up, the Chair thanked all parties for their attendance and contributions, commenting that Members appeared to be generally supportive of the application.

RESOLVED –

(i)  That the application be deferred and delegated to the Chief Planning Officer for approval subject to the resolution of detailed wind micro-climate discussions, the conditions set out in Appendix No. 1 of the submitted report, with the inclusion of an additional condition requiring the provision of a living/green wall (and any others which he might consider appropriate) and the completion of a Section 106 agreement to include the following obligations:

·  Affordable Housing 7% on-site in a pro-rata mix of units split 60:40 lower decile:lower quartile

·  Residential Travel Plan Fund for residents at the site £35,945

·  Leeds City Council car club free trial membership and usage package for residents at the site £19,000

·  Travel plan monitoring fee £3,732

·  Cooperation with local jobs and skills initiatives

(ii)  In the event of the Section 106 Agreement not having been completed within 3 months of the resolution to grant planning permission, the final determination of the application shall be delegated to the Chief Planning Officer.