Agenda and minutes

  The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, particularly Councillor Wadsworth who had recently been appointed to Plans Panel City Centre and Councillor Coulson who was substituting.  Members and Officers were then asked to introduce themselves

  The Chair also informed the Panel that the Chief Planning Officer, Mr Crabtree, was currently in hospital and it was agreed that a letter from the Panel be sent wishing him a speedy recovery

To declare any personal/prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct

  The following Members declared personal/prejudicial interests for the purposes of Section 81(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct:

  Applications 07/07/468/FU and 07/07469/LI – Alf Cooke Printworks Hunslet Road LS10

  Councillors Selby, Nash and Campbell declared personal interests through being members of English Heritage which had commented on the scheme (minute 61 refers)

  Councillor Monaghan declared a personal interest as a member of Leeds Civic Trust which had commented on the scheme (minute 61 refers)

  Application 10/04135/RM – Former Doncaster Works Whitehall Road – Councillor Latty declared a personal interest as a British Waterways License holder as British Waterways had been consulted on the application (minute 62 refers)

  Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Martin Hamilton and Councillor Taggart who was substituted for by Councillor Coulson

To approve the minutes of the Plans Panel City Centre meeting held on 12^th November 2010

(minutes attached)

  RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Plans Panel City Centre meeting held on 12^th November be approved

  The Head of Planning Services who attended the meeting informed the Panel on the latest position regarding the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)

  Members were informed that there had been a successful challenge by a developer to the Secretary of State’s revocation of the RSS.  However the Government had affirmed its intention to introduce legislation to abolish the RSS and the Government’s Chief Planning Officer had written to Local Planning Authorities advising them of this and that the intention to abolish the RSS was a material planning consideration

  This letter had now been challenged and an injunction was in place which meant that the weight to be given to the Government’s Chief Planning Officer’s letter is now in question and is a matter for Local Planning Authorities to determine

  In respect of the two applications before Members, the Head of Planning Services stated he was of the view that the RSS was not critical to either of these applications

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for change of use involving refurbishment and part demolition of printing works to offices and erection of 12 office units in eight 3 storey blocks with ancillary café/restaurant, car parking and public realm and Listed Building application for conversion to offices including refurbishment and part demolition of printing works

(report attached)

  Plans, photographs, graphics and samples of proposed materials were displayed at the meeting.  A site visit had taken place earlier in the day which some Members had attended

  Officers presented the report which sought permission for the redevelopment, including some demolition and some new building at the prestigious Grade 2 Listed former Alf Cooke Printworks on Hunslet Road LS10, close to the city centre.  A pre-application presentation had been made to Panel on 16^th August 2007 (minute 34 refers)

  Members were informed that the proposals would see the retention of the two main print halls and the mill building, with conversion of these elements to offices together with eight 3 storey office buildings, divided into 12 units; 114 car parking spaces, some being undercroft parking; 15 spaces being provided for people with disabilities and both permanent and temporary landscaping being provided

  The development would be constructed over 3 phases, the first phase being demolition works, phase two seeing the construction of some new building, some of the car parking and landscaping and the final phase providing the remaining buildings, car parking and tree planting, with hornbeams being considered as the species of trees to be provided

As part of the flood risk assessment it would be necessary to raise the floor level of the existing mill building which would result in some masking of the bottom tread of the spiral stair case and of the base of the columns

  A new pedestrian crossing would be provided on Hunslet Road

  Public art would be incorporated into the scheme, with this reflecting the history of the building possibly through the use of a folded paper motif, including a piece of artwork to be sited close to the Hunslet Road frontage

  Officers recommended to Panel approval of the applications as the scheme would result in the redevelopment of a brownfield site and would preserve and re-use a unique Listed Building whilst providing new employment opportunities close to the city centre and the provision of new public open space

  Members commented on the following matters:

·  whether the Listed Building would be made weathertight in the first phase

·  the highway implications of the development in view of the busy junction running close to the site and the proximity of Crown Point Retail Park which generated a significant amount of traffic

·  pedestrian access; that the footpath along the front of the site was narrow and was further limited by the pedestrian guard rails sited there

·  the need for the clock on the corner of the Listed Building to be maintained in working order

·  concerns that some of the buildings turned their backs towards Hunslet and in doing so created a barrier of ordinariness

·  the view that the quality and stature of the main building would be improved if the proposed adjacent L-blockbuilding was one storey lower

·  that the cast-iron street nameplate sited on Hunslet Road be retained

·  the provision of public art; whether this was being driven by the applicant; mixed views about the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for the erection of one 8 storey office building with basement car park and rooftop plant room at the former Doncaster Works Whitehall Road

(report attached)

  Plans and photographs were displayed at the meeting.  A site visit had taken place earlier in the day which some Members had attended

  Officers presented the report which sought approval for a Reserved Matters application for an office development at the former Doncaster Works on Whitehall Road LS1.  The outline application for a major mixed use development had been approved in principle by Plans Panel City Centre at its meeting held on 26^th April 2007 (minute 153 refers), with final approval being deferred and delegated to the Chief Planning Officer

  The outline approval had included 5 office buildings on the site.  The first building had been completed some time ago, with the proposals before Members being for a similar building

  The siting, access and scale had been agreed in the outline application, however there was one minor change in siting, with a slight clockwise realignment required to this block

  Underground car parking comprising 83 car parking spaces, 9 disabled spaces, motor cycle and bicycle spaces together with showers and lockers would be provided

  The landscaping proposals would mirror those in the first phase with Yorkstone and tarmac being used for the hard landscaping and trees and raised planters for the soft landscaping

  In response to a question relating to Section 106 money, Officers stated that S106 contributions on this development had been agreed at the outline application stage

  RESOLVED – To approve the application in principle and defer and delegate final approval to the Chief Planning Officer subject to the conditions set out in the submitted report

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on the outcome of an appeal and application for alterations to form bed-sit flat to level 14 stairwell to residential block at West Point Wellington Street LS1

(report attached)

  The Panel considered a report of the Chief Planning Officer on a recent appeal decision and an application for costs for a retrospective application for alterations to form a bed-sit flat to the level 14 stairwell to a residential block at West Point Wellington Street LS1

  The Central Area Planning Manager presented the report and stated that in 2008 a micro flat, with a floor space of approximately 13 sqm, had been created at level 14 at West Point but that the LPA had only received the retrospective application this year which had been refused on the grounds of lack of internal amenity space

  The applicant had appealed against this decision and had submitted a request for costs

  The Inspector dismissed the appeal and costs application in a letter dated 9^th November 2010

  In terms of implications for the Council, the decision indicated that the potential for the internal use of space and the amenity it provided was an important planning consideration

  The decision also raised the issue of whether minimum space standards should be adopted by the Council

  Members discussed the appeal decision and raised the following points:

·  whether the Council had made a cross application for costs

·  whether the issue of minimum space standards should be considered

The Head of Planning Services stated that an application for costs had

not been made by the Authority as there were no standards relating to space and that some form of guidance on this would be helpful

  RESOLVED -  To note the report and the comments now made and to request that minimum space standards be considered, with a report on this being brought back to the next appropriate Joint Plans Panel meeting

Wednesday 12^th January 2011 at 1.30pm

  Wednesday 12^th January 2011 at 1.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds