Agenda and minutes

A Member’s site visit was held in connection with the following applications: Application Nos: 18/02735/FU and 18/02736/LI – Opera North, 46 New Briggate, Leeds and PREAPP 18/00067 – Leonardo Building, Thoresby House and 2 Great George Street, Leeds and was attended by the following Councillors: J Mckenna, E Nash, C Campbell, B Anderson, P Wadsworth,

D Blackburn, P Carlill, K Ritchie, R Stephenson and A Hutchison.

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: A Khan, C Gruen, D Cohen and T Leadley

Councillors: D Ragan, K Ritchie, R Stephenson and A Hutchinson were in attendance as substitute Members

To consider and approve the Minutes of the previous meeting held on 12^th July 2018.

(Copy attached)

The Minutes of the previous meeting held on 12^th July 2018 were submitted for comment / approval.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 12^th July 2018 be accepted as a true and correct record.

To consider any matters arising from the Minutes.

Application No.18/02523 – Construction of new Teaching Block at the University of Leeds Campus, Cloberry Street, Leeds (Minute No.32 referred)

In offering comment Councillor Nash said it was important that the building line of Lyddon Terrace should be protected.

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application for the erection of a part 6 No. / part 16 No. storey student accommodation building with ground floor commercial units (Use Class A1, A2, A3, A4, B1 and D2) and associated landscaping works at land at Portland Crescent, Leeds LS2 8BL

(Report attached)

With reference to the meetings of 23^rd November 2017 and 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 erection of a Part 6 No./ Part 16 No. storey student accommodation building with ground floor commercial units (use Class A1, A2, A3, A4 B2 and D2) and associated landscaping works to land at Portland Crescent, Leeds, LS2 8BL.

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 for 312 student studios ranging in size from 18sqm to 56sqm in a part six, part sixteen storey student accommodation building with a ground floor and commercial unit (flexible use classes A1, A2, A3, A4, B1 or D2) and associated landscaping works. It is proposed to add two additional storeys to the approved tower element of the building (14 storeys) such that the tower would be 16 storeys in height. The lower wing would remain at 6 storeys. The existing foundations and precast concrete frame can be reused, with the completion of necessary remedial works.

·  There are a number of relatively minor changes from the partially built extant hotel planning approval however the updated proposal would retain the overall design principles including:

- Reuse of the existing part constructed concrete frame

- Double storey podium

- Chequered window pattern

- Building line set-back at 5th Floor level

- Limestone cladding

- Glazed vertical window slot (former roof top bar lift)

- Window detailing and contrasting stone banding at floor levels

- Glazed ground floor active frontages

·  The hotel “sky bar” is no longer proposed as there would not be public access to the upper floors of the building. The set-back fifth floor which was previously intended to be a gym and plant room for the hotel would now provide 21 studio flats.

·  Dedicated amenity space for students would be provided in the communal ‘Hub’ space at basement and ground floor level facing onto Portland Crescent. Other ground floor space would be occupied as flexible use retail/food and drink/office/leisure accommodation, which would face onto Woodhouse Lane, Portland Crescent and Cookridge Street.

·  The external space around the building is public highway and would be laid out to compliment the new public realm presently coming forward at the junction of Woodhouse Lane / Clay Pit Lane / Cookridge Street. This would incorporate contrasting concrete paving to adoptable standards, three small-leaved Lime trees (Tilia Cordata “Greenspire”) in bespoke tree grilles with uplighters, nine Sheffield cycle stands and five metal lattice wind baffle structures, approximately 2m x 2.5m in size.

Members raised the following questions:

·  Were there any proposals for waste management for the building

·  Could advertising/ use of corporate branding be controlled in respect of the ground floor retail  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application which seeks the change of use of 4 retail units to a single A3 restaurant unit (including substantial facade restoration), the creation of a new circulation atrium to serve Opera North's Howard Assembly Room and supplementary internal alterations, the refurbishment of the existing Premier House office building, including facade re-modelling and the introduction of a new Education Suite at ground floor level, an associated linkage to, and two-storey extension of, the adjacent Linacre / Harewood studio within Premier House, at Opera North, the Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, Leeds,

LS1 6NU.

(Report attached)

With reference to the meetings of 29^th March 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 change of use of 4 retail units to a single A3 restaurant unit (including substantial facade restoration), the creation of a new circulation atrium to serve Opera North's Howard Assembly Room and supplementary internal alterations, the refurbishment of the existing Premier House office building, including facade re-modelling and the introduction of a new Education Suite at ground floor level, an associated linkage to, and two-storey extension of, the adjacent Linacre / Harewood studio within Premier House, at Opera North, the Grand Theatre, 46 New Briggate, Leeds,

LS1 6NU.

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 seeks a change of use of the ground floor vacant former shop units from A1 retail units to one combined A3 restaurant, with internal alterations to the basement, ground floor and upper floors in the Howard Assembly Room of Opera North and an external terrace to the rear of the former shop units. In addition the proposal also involves an office refurbishment including facade remodelling and two storey rehearsal studio extension to roof of existing 5 storey Premier House building, and the provision of ground floor education suite.

·  The principle changes for the Howard Assembly Room would result in the reconfiguration of the existing ground floor entrance lobby to Opera North’s areas, such that new routes would be created inside the lobby area leading to the Assembly Room above as well as directly to the restaurant. In addition a new platform lift would be inserted into the lobby area. The proposals would also involve the reconfiguration of some internal first floor rooms including the removal of an existing storage room to create a new anti-space for patrons to utilise. The existing male artist WCs will be repositioned at stage level to allow the removed storage area to be relocated backstage. In addition a new disabled WC and a grand piano storage area would be created at first floor level. A new internal feature door is proposed at the existing main entrance within the building between Grand Theatre and Howard Assembly Room. This will involve the removal of an area of existing historic encaustic tiles in the interior of the existing entrance lobby. These removed tiles are to be retained and reused in a different location at the site.

·  The basement and ground floor to the former retail units within the Grade II* Listed Opera North building would also be altered, with the removal of internal walls and a section of flooring to create a new restaurant with partitioning for WCs, a cloakroom and a dumb waiter.

  Externally the shopfronts to New Briggate would be reordered  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of a pre application presentation which seeks the partial demolition and rebuilding of the Leonardo Building, the conversion of Thoresby Building and 2 Great George Street for a change of use from offices to a mix of hotel, office, restaurant/café and bar uses and the extension of existing buildings, with a new build hotel on car park site at The Leonardo Building, Thoresby House and 2 Great George Street, Leeds, LS2 8HD

(Report attached)

With reference to the meeting of 10^th May 2018 when Members received a

pre-application presentation in respect of this site.

The Chief Planning Officer now submitted a report which presented an evolving scheme which sought the partial demolition and rebuilding of the Leonardo Building, the conversion of Thoresby Building and 2 Great George Street for a change of use from offices to a mix of hotel, office, restaurant/café and bar uses and the extension of existing buildings, with a new build hotel on the car park site at The Leonardo Building, Thoresby House and 2 Great George Street, Leeds, LS2 8HD

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 proposals involves the regeneration and extension of the Grade II Listed Thoresby and Leonardo Buildings and No. Great George Street and the creation of a new third building between the two historic buildings. All proposed works would facilitate a change of use from offices to a mix of hotel, office, restaurant/café and bar uses across the site. Following the meeting of the City Plans Panel on 10^th May 2018 the scheme had been revised such that all building heights had been reduced by one storey, the central new building had been remodelled allowing it to become more contextually relevant, the new corner building to the Leonardo building has been redesigned, the roof top extension to No.2 Great George Street has been amended from a curved to a rectilinear form and the depth of the public space between the new building and Thoresby House had increased to some 16.8 metres in width. The changes seek to enhance both the scheme and the setting of the existing and proposed buildings within their heritage rich location.

·  The changes to the Thoresby Building would require demolition of the attached 20^thcentury Leonardo Building (but not the older part of the Leonardo Building) and the roof of the Listed Thoresby Building. A new extension would be built to replace the removed part of the Leonardo Building as well as a second extension across the top of the retained part of the Leonardo Building and the Thoresby Building. The regenerated set of buildings would be put into use as office space, with ground floor A1 retail, A3 (restaurant and café) and A4 (bar) uses. A large new entrance point would be created to the east face of the building, to sit between the two existing stone detailed doorways, which would link into the building’s retained atrium.

·  The Listed No. 2 Great George Street would be altered internally with the addition of a mezzanine to add in an extra floor space for the creation of a new premium hotel. In addition, the existing 20th century entrance portal will be removed and a new entrance to the west face of the building will be created. In addition  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

To note that the next Meeting will take place on Thursday, 13^th September 2018 at 1.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds.

RESOLVED – To note that the next meeting will take place on Thursday, 13^th September 2018 at 1.30pm in the Civic Hall, Leeds.