Agenda and minutes

A Member’s site visit was held in connection with the following proposal:

Application No. 18/00604/RM – City Reach 1, Kirkstall Road, Leeds, Application No. 18/00622/OT – City Reach 2, Kirkstall, Road, Leeds and Application No. 18/00458/FU – Podium Buildings, Merrion Way, Leeds 2 and was attended by the following Councillors: J McKenna, A Khan, S Hamilton, C Gruen,

B Anderson, C Campbell, T Leadley, E Nash and D Blackburn, P Wadsworth, P Carlill, M Shahzad and J Goddard.

The Chair introduced and welcomed Councillors: B Anderson, P Carlill,

D Cohen, J Goddard, C Gruen and P Wadsworth as new Members to City Plans Panel.

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 against the refusal of inspection of documents.

1  To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

2  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

3  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

  RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:-

There were no items identified where it was considered necessary to exclude the press or public from the meeting due to the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.

There were no late items of business to be considered.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct. 

There were no declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests made at the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors: A Garthwaite and N Walshaw.

Councillors: S Hamilton and M Shahzad were in attendance as substitute Members.

To consider and approve the Minutes of the previous meeting held on 10^th May 2018.

(Copy attached)

The Minutes of the previous meeting held on 10^th May 2018 were submitted for comment / approval.

Reference was made to the first paragraph of Minute No.165 Members requested that a minor correction be made, substituting the word reserved for “determined”.

Reference was made to Minute No.166, page 8 Members requested that an additional bullet point be added to read as follows:

·  It was noted that the proposal was for predominantly residential use contrary to the site’s allocation for mixed use with the development plan

A further correction was requested in respect of Minute No. 168, third page, eighth bullet point down to read as follows:

·  It was reported that flooding to the site had occurred previously. Members were informed that a flood risk assessment would be undertaken, including any impact from river silt, and it was intended the development would be lifted onto stilts to address any future flooding issues.

RESOLVED – That with the inclusion of the above, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10^th May 2018 be accepted as a true and correct record.

To consider any matters arising from the Minutes.

There were no issues raised under matters arising.

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application which seeks the demolition of existing podium building and erection of one 15 storey and one 27 storey student accommodation building over basement car park, with ground floor A2, A3 or A4 floorspace and provision of new public realm, Merrion Way, Tower House Street and Brunswick Terrace, Leeds 2

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an application which sought the demolition of the existing podium building and the erection of one 15 storey and one 27 storey student accommodation building over basement car park, with ground floor A2, A3 or A4 floorspace and provision of new public realm, Merrion Way, Tower House Street and Brunswick Terrance, Leeds 2.

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

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

The proposal is to demolish the existing 2 storey podium building and associated basement car park. Two new buildings would be erected contemporaneously. Tower A would be 15 storeys (approximately 46 metres) in height, Tower B is a 27 storey building would be approximately 78m tall. This proposed student accommodation would be accessed from a reception area on the southern side of Tower B to the east.

The proposals identify an active frontage around much of this building. An area of external seating serving the commercial unit is proposed along the west side the premises.

Student bicycle storage facilities would be provided in the ground floor of Tower B. Dedicated student amenity space would be provided at mezzanine level and the majority of the first floor of the building. In total, 1,344m2 of amenity space would be provided for the students.

Student accommodation would be located from first floor of the buildings upwards. There would be a total of 94 studios and 152 cluster flats of which there would be 74, four bedroom clusters; 4, five bedroom clusters and 74, seven bedroom clusters. In total there would be 928 bedspaces across the development. Each of the studios, situated north and south of the core in the centre of each building, would be 30m2. Cluster bedrooms would be 11.4m2. Cluster living /kitchen spaces would be situated at each of the corners of the buildings. These spaces would be 23m2 for 4 bedroom cluster flats and 40m2 for the 5 and 7 bedroom clusters.

Glazing and off-white aluminum cladding are proposed as the principal building materials. The base of the buildings, comprising ground, mezzanine and first floor levels, would utilise double-height curtain wall glazing. The upper levels of the east and west elevations of the buildings would be articulated with chamfered returns to the secondary plane comprising curtain walling, spandrel panels and louvred panels with inward-opening windows located behind.

Proposals for the public realm identify new hardsurfacing extending across the entirety of the site. As such, the existing vehicular ramp at the western end of the podium building would be removed and infilled and would form part of a widened pedestrian approach along Brunswick Terrace from Merrion Way towards the arena. The remaining area to the north of the new buildings would be resurfaced as part of an extended area of public realm between the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of “City Reach 1” a Reserved Matters Application for appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of a mixed use scheme comprising private for sale residential (PFS) and private rented sector (PRS) residential with ancillary ground floor active uses, small scale retailing Café/Restaurant, Bars at site south of Kirkstall Road fronting the River Aire (Former First Bus Depot site)

(Report attached)

With reference to the meeting of 24^th March 2016 and the decision to grant outline consent in respect of Application No.15/06844/OT subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement.

The Chief Planning Officer now submitted a report which set out details of the reserved matters application in respect of the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale, pursuant to the extant outline permission for the City Reach 1 (CR1) site on the south side of Kirkstall Road with frontage to the River Aire.

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

The City Centre Team Leader together with the applicant’s representatives addressed the Panel, speaking in detail about the proposal and highlighted the following:

The application was for “City Reach 1” a reserved matters application for appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of a mixed use scheme comprising private for sale residential (PFS) and private rented sector (PRS) residential with ancillary ground floor active uses, small scale retailing Café/ Resaurant, Bars at site south of Kirkstall Road fronting the River Aire (Former First Bus Depot site).

The proposal included 528 residential units and 309 student units (Cluster flats and studios) within 5 blocks, ranging in height from 5 to 12 storeys

Set around a landscaped public realm that maximises access to the river frontage through the provision of the increased amount of public open space and large river front park area. This would have a central spine running north/south between Kirkstall Road and the River Aire bridge with 2 large areas of soft landscaped parkland to either side set at a lower level than the main spine.

A new ‘village square’ would be established centrally within the site that would be located at the intersection of the north-south and east-west routes. This was intended to provide a focal point to the scheme from which the east-west link will extend through into the CR2 site to the west. Riverside connections both along and across the River Aire would be provided consistent with the terms of the existing S106 Agreement.

A total of 196 car parking spaces are proposed to be located within the site at

surface level with an additional 42 being created for CR1 within the additional car parking area being created on the adjacent CR2 site, although when first

constructed this area will contain 83 spaces 41 of which will be passed over to CR2 when that is completed. The applicants had previously proposed 500 car spaces in a basement facility, however, this has now been removed from the scheme for largely flood risk related reasons. The new parking spaces are contained either in under-croft areas at ground floor level or to the side of the buildings in landscaped areas laid out with block and bound gravel surface treatments. The scheme also provides a total of 517 residential and visitor cycle parking spaces and 8 electric vehicle parking points.                                  

Members raised the following questions:

·  What was the average room size per  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application “City Reach 2” an hybrid application for redevelopment for residential (C3 &C4) including vehicular pedestrian /cycle access, servicing, public open space, car parking, landscaping and off-site highway works (Full consent sought for part of the car park only with the remainder in outline with all matters reserved other than access)

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an hybrid application “City Reach 2” for redevelopment for residential (C3 & C4) including vehicular pedestrian/ cycle access, servicing, public open space, car parking, landscaping and off-site highway works (Full consent sought for part of the car park only with the remainder in outline with all matters reserved other than access) at “City Reach 2” at site south of Kirkstall Road, fronting the River Aire (Former First Bus Deport Site)

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

The City Centre Team Leader together with the applicant’s representatives addressed the Panel, speaking in detail about the proposal and highlighted the following:

The CR2 site was seen as a continuation of CR1, and the design approach had addressed the two sites comprehensively as a result. A hybrid application was proposed to progress CR2 which would consist of the following 2 elements:

Full (Detailed) Element is for a surface level car park in the north-eastern corner of the CR2 site and provides for 83 car parking spaces. Initially these would be used for the CR1 scheme but, on completion of CR2, 41 of these spaces would be used for the CR2 scheme. Full planning permission was sought to enable this element to be delivered alongside the CR1 scheme. The area would be landscaped and would have quality surface treatments of bound gravel and block paving.

An outline planning permission was sought for the remainder of the CR2 site to comprise a residential-led development of four buildings. These would be located in the 4 quadrants of the site, two fronting Kirkstall Road and 2 fronting the River Aire with the continuation of the east-west route from the CR1 running between them. An area of open space would then run between the buildings from the river to the road intersecting the road at the mid-point. This would provide an almost continuous green pedestrian connection from Kirkstall Road through to the River Aire with the space widening out to have 2 park areas adjacent the river located to either side of the main central route in a similar manner to that proposed at CR1.

The general heights within CR2 range from 6 to 14 storeys with variations contained in the outline parameter plans to create visual interest in the sky line as well as create opportunities for roof terraces and balconies.

Three of the buildings would comprise approximately 400 Private Rented Sector (PRS) residential units. The fourth building, the south-eastern block fronting the river, would comprise approximately 130 Private For Sale (PFS) residential units. All blocks were largely rectangular in footprint with the exception of the building in the north-western corner fronting Kirkstall Road, where a 45 degree crank in the building footprint has been introduced to address the city-bound view of the scheme from Kirkstall Road.

The applicant had indicated that, at reserved matters stage, the residential mix in the PRS units would be 9% studios,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To note that the next meeting will take place on Thursday, 21^st June 2018 at 1.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds.

RESOLVED – To note that the next meeting will take place on Thursday 21^st June 2018 at 1.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds.