Agenda and minutes

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded)

(*In accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting)

There were no appeals.

There were no exempt items.

There were no late items.

To disclose or draw attention to any interests in accordance with Leeds City Council’s ‘Councillor Code of Conduct’.

Members did not declare any interests at the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Lamb, Cllr Hayden and Cllr McKenna with Cllr Flint substituting for Cllr Hayden.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on the 6^th September 2022 as a correct record.

RESOLVED- That the minutes of the Development Plan Panel meeting held on 6^th September 2022, be approved as an accurate record.

Minute 15 - Local Plan Update 1 – The Head of Strategic Planning provided Members with an overview of the progress of the Local Plan Update 1 (LPU1). LPU1, focuses on the Leeds planning systems response to climate change, and had been released for consultation on 24^th of October 2022, with all Members of Council being provided with details of the consultation which closes on the 19^th of December 2022.

To consider the report of the Chief Planning Officer on the Local Plan Update 2 presenting the proposed scope and topic papers for comment, prior to these being developed into consultation material which will be brought back to a future DPP meeting.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer presented Members with the proposed scope and topic papers of the Local Plan Update 2 for comment, prior to these being developed into consultation material which will be brought back to a future meeting of the Development Plan Panel.

The Group Manager for Policy and Plans provided an overview on the process undertaken in 2020, which looked at what parts of the Local Plan might need to be reviewed. Consequently, Local Plan Update 1 (LPU1), focusing on the climate emergency, is underway. The next stage, Local Plan Update 2 (LPU2) can consider wider topics, and was presented to Members at this early stage as an opportunity to update and streamline polices and agree the key issues to focus on in advance of new or revised polices. The aims of the overall LPU are to ensure consistency with national policy and create a concise, effective approach. The risks noted for this were viability, scale of the scope and rapidly changing national policy which may limit the powers of the council. The overall plan period for Local Plan Update covers 2022 to 2040 and work will involve: creating a headline list of policies, developing an evidence base, public consultation and submission to the Secretary of State prior to adopting the plan.

Officers within the planning department presented the proposed areas for consideration under LPU2, outlined as:

·  Spatial strategy for Leeds to grow, meeting social, economic, and environmental objectives. A wide range of factors and the implications these have on viability and policy will need to be considered, including, accessibility, regeneration, land supply and greenbelt with the need to explore a wide range of options and their merits.

·  Housing requirements were currently set through Core Strategy policy and Site Allocation Plan, as agreed in 2019. LPU2 policy will aim to target structural changes within the housing market of recent years within the constraints of current land supply which heavily focuses on inner Leeds and the city centre, with half of new housing being flats or apartments; land allocation in response to this may require release of Green Belt. The Core Strategy housing target will be replaced by Government methodology for Local Housing Need, with an additional 35% increase because Leeds is a large urban authority. A new updated Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) will be commissioned in order to understand local needs.

·  Affordable housing provision currently did not meet demand so all delivery mechanisms will need to be maximised, such as policy H5 and section 106 agreements. Viability and other challenges can affect provision, but the planning system has some control regarding location, size and type to try improving delivery, but the city centre has a focus on high rise build to rent which is often not affordable. A first time buyer’s policy was proposed which requires 25% of all affordable homes to be secured as First Homes with a minimum discount of 30% below market rate. Local thresholds, criteria and household income will be considered  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

To consider the report of the Chief Planning Officer informing the Development Plan Panel of the draft City Centre West: Innovation Arc Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which provides a vision and development principles for future development in the area called the Innovation Arc.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer informed the Development Plan Panel of the draft City Centre West: Innovation Arc Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which provides a vision and principles for future development in the area called the Innovation Arc.

The Principal Planner (Policy and Plans) introduced the SPD outlining the area covered by the SPD to the West of Leeds city centre, which has a diverse make up, containing anchor institutions like the universities and hospitals as well as residential areas, a business district and signification heritage buildings. The purpose of the SPD is to implement Local Plan policies within the context of the area, it will be a new material planning consideration and inform future delivery plans and funding bids. The principles of the SPD will have a positive impact on the councils three pillars of the Best City Ambition (Health and Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth, Zero Carbon), movement and connectivity, open public space, core and supporting uses, heritage, identity, people and culture.

The SPD divides the area into three key neighbourhoods which are;

·  Woodhouse Gateway, containing 3 universities and small businesses with the intention to build a new city park in the area.

·  Great George Street, containing Leeds General Infirmary with the intention to build 2 new hospital buildings, reusing heritage buildings and creating new green spaces.

·  West End, largely made up of private sector institutions with the intention to establish the area as an innovation hub.

The SPD will be subject to two consultations, as legally required, which will occur from the 24^th of October until the 12^th of December 2022, the second preadoption consultation over spring 2023.

Members discussed the following key matters:

·  The development principles, contained in the report, did not refer to affordable housing or student accommodation. Officers outlined that the SPD was building on existing policy, large housing developments are not anticipated, and these policy areas were noted to be under review through LPU2.

·  The SPD, as proposed, amplifies and supplements existing policy when considering new development within the allocated area to preserve the heritage of the area while improving connectivity and sustainability. Neighbourhood planning policy, core strategy and the SPD will have to all be taken into account when considering planning applications within the area.

·  Outline planning consent, along with consent for relevant demolition works were confirmed to be in place for the two new proposed hospitals in the Great George Street neighbourhood however concern was noted due to the funding not yet being secured.

·  The three areas were considered to have a diverse range of needs and although the university and hospital estates are not open public land there should be some permeability to improve public routes in and out of the city. With the mixture of uses in the SPD area, openness and connectivity will help bring it together.

·  Earlier neighbourhood consultation and engagement for the SPD would have given residents a choice for ambitions and priorities that work best for them.

RESOLVED –

a)  That Members comments  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

To note the date and time of the next meeting as Tuesday, 31^st of January 2023 at 1:30pm.

RESOLVED – To note the date and time of the next meeting as Tuesday, 31^st January 2023

(The meeting concluded at 15:38pm)