Agenda and minutes

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

Application No.18/02523/FU – Cloberry Street, Leeds, Application No. 18/01819/FU – Hume House, Tower House Street, Leeds and Application No. 18/02139/FU – Q1 residence, Wade Lane, Leeds and was attended by the following Councillors: J Mckenna, A Khan, A Garthwaite, E Nash, C Gruen,

R Grahame, D Cohen, B Anderson, P Wadsworth, T Leadley and D Blackburn

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.

To receive apologies for absence (If any)

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor P Carlill.

Councillor R Grahame was in attendance as a substitute Member

To consider and approve the Minutes of the previous meeting held on 21^st June 2018.

(Copy attached)

The Minutes of the previous meeting held on 21^st June 2018 were submitted for comment / approval.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 21^st June 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 building and erection of 37 storey student accommodation building, Hume House, Wade Lane, Merrion Way and Tower House Street, Leeds.

(Report attached)

With reference to the meeting of 15^th February 2018 when Members received a pre-application presentation in respect of this site.

The Chief Planning Officer now submitted a report which set out details of an application which sought the demolition of the existing building and the erection of a 37 storey student accommodation building at Hume House, Wade Lane, Merrion Way and Tower House Street, 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 was to demolish the existing building and to construct a 37 storey building in its place. The long axis of the building would align with Wade Lane to the southeast rather than Tower House Street as the present structure. As such, the spine of the building would run south-west to north east. The slender southern elevation of the building would project approximately 11m forward of the existing building towards Merrion Way albeit the lowest two levels above ground primarily around the southern and western frontage would be set some 3m further inboard. The upper body of the building also oversails areas of the   lowest levels on the eastern elevation. At its closest point the northern elevation of the building would be 8.5m from the Arena Village tower   and the west corner 11m from Arena Point, albeit the orientation of the   building to its neighbours is such that distances markedly increase from these positions.

·  The building would have two small areas of basement. The ground floor of the student accommodation building would comprise the reception and management offices, a common room including a double-height space around the southern entrance, and other supporting facilities such as the management suite and bicycle storage. Level 1 would contain an additional common room and services including the laundrette, plant room and bin store served by its own lift. Further study rooms are proposed at Level 24 and 35. Excluding the cluster space 546m2 of internal dedicated amenity space is proposed and an external roof terrace is identified at Level 35 (204m2). The student accommodation comprises a mix of studios (22m2) and 4, 5 and 6 bedroom clusters (study cluster bedrooms would typically be 14m2). Associated kitchen / living areas would be 21-24m2 for 4 bedroom clusters; 25-27m2 for 5 bedroom clusters; and 30-35m2 for 6 bedroom clusters. In total, 96 studios and 135 clusters (656 bedrooms) are proposed, 752 bedspaces overall.

·  Active areas at the lowest two levels of the building would have double-height glazing with a cantilevered soffit height of approximately 7.5m. Above this point the building extrudes vertically to level 25 above which the component fronting Merrion Way checks back and in and terminates with a roof terrace above level 35. On the Wade Lane elevation a full height recess distinguishes the southern component from the longer northern component  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application which seeks the erection of a part 11, part 18 storey building for student accommodation including facilities, comprising 98 studios, and the provision of communal facilities in the basement of the adjacent building, a landscaping scheme and all associated works at the site of the Q1 Residence, Wade Lane, Leeds.

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an application which sought the erection of a part 11, part 18 storey building for student accommodation including facilities, comprising 98 studios and the provision of communal facilities in the basement of the adjacent building, a landscaping scheme and all associated works at the site of the Q1 Residence, Wade Lane, 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 proposed development sought to provide 98 studio dwellings, for occupation by students. These units would be set out such that floors 1 to 10 would each contain 7 studios and floors 11 to 17 would each contain 4 studios.

·  The units would be laid out in the following range with regard to the range of internal floorspace:

10 studios of 21 sq metres

17 studios of 22 sq metres

37 studios of 23 sq metres

17 studios of 29 sq metres

17 studios of 31 sq metres

·  The proposal would include a range of high quality communal facilities within some 200 sq. metres at the ground floor of the proposed building, comprising a lounge, reception area, a breakfast room and study rooms/pods. In addition, a plant room and bin store room will be located at the lower ground floor level.

·  Further to this the Applicant states that occupiers would also be able to make use of the lower ground floor of the existing Q One building, which will provide a cinema room (c. 30 – 40sqm), a games room (c.80sqm), a storage area for students (c. 30-40sqm) and additional cycle stands. In addition the Developer also states that student occupiers would be given free annual membership of the nearby Pure Gym at the Merrion Centre.

Officers reported the receipt of a late objection on the grounds that the proposed development would be the fourth high rise student building in the area and would increase stress on local amenities.

Addressing the objection it was the view of officers that there would be no detriment to the mixed use character and amenities in the area, traffic would be reduced because there were less cars associated with the site and there was no displacement of housing in this area.

Members were also updated on the submission of a wind report confirming that the proposal in conjunction with the proposed 37 storey building on the opposite side of Wade Lane would not result in unsafe wind conditions and were advised that there were no outstanding highway and wind impact issues to resolve and the recommendation should be amended accordingly.

Members raised the following questions:

·  There appeared to be a significant amount of cycle spaces but would they be used.

·  The proposed development was in close proximity to the inner ring road, had the necessary investigations been carried out to ensure there would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

To consider an application by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application which seeks the construction of a new teaching block including landscaping, access improvements and other associated works at the University of Leeds campus, Cloberry Street, Woodhouse, Leeds.

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an application which sought the construction of a new teaching block including landscaping, access improvements and other associated works at the University of Leeds campus, Cloberry Street, Woodhouse, 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 proposed development sought to build a 6 storey teaching building as part of an expansion of facilities to meet the growing demand of the University’s Business School. The building would house lecture, tutorial and other teaching spaces as well as a ground floor ancillary A3 cafe space. This A3 café would face out on to an existing landscaped area, which was to be retained and enhanced. In addition, the proposal sought to improve pedestrian connectivity through and around the site, with better linkages to the nearby Western campus, and along Clobbery Street back into the main campus. The scheme also aims to improve the setting of the adjacent substation, which cannot be relocated by creating more greenery to effectively screen more of the structure from public view.

·  The site was an existing surface car park and landscaped green area to the north west of the University’s Estates Services and nursery buildings and was set within the Woodhouse Conservation Area and more specifically the character area within this wider definition of the Woodhouse Lane-University Precinct Conservation Area. There were a number of listed buildings in close proximity to the site, these being at: Fairbairn House, Clarendon Road and Boundary Wall, properties on Lyddon Terrace, 1-8 Woodsley Terrace and Boundary Wall, Leeds Grammar School and Leeds Grammar School Chapel.

·  The wider area was characterised by an eclectic mix of red brick former Victorian terrace houses, and a wide variety of university teaching, support services and halls of residence buildings of different architectural eras, heights and massing.

The Panel then heard from Dr H Hubbard, a local resident who was objecting to the proposal because the proposed development would impact on the parking and access arrangements for the area. Dr Hubbard was also of the view that the building was too high and imposing for the surrounding area and there was a lack of clarity in the University’s site plan as to how the proposed development would fit with the future of the temporary Estates Office building. 

Questions to the objector - None

The Panel then heard from the University’s representative Claire Linley (Planning Agent) who spoke in support of the application.

Members were informed that the University had experienced substantial growth in recent years. The proposed application would assist in the development of the Business School and would also seek to promote access to the existing spaces. There was currently uncontrolled parking in the area and this could be addressed by use of Traffic Regulation Orders.

Questions to the applicant

·  Why was this application  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

To note that the next meeting will take place on Thursday, 2^nd August 2018 at 1.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds.

RESOLVED – To note that the next meeting will take place on Thursday 2^nd August 2018 at 1.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds.