Agenda and minutes

Cllrs Gruen, Midgley, Sharpe, Flint, Almass and Anderson attended the site visits earlier in the day.

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 refusal of inspection of documents.

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’.

In relation to Agenda Item 8, Cllr Lamb informed the Panel of the following:

As per his register of interests he is a member of Wetherby Town Council and the Director and deputy chair for Better Wetherby Partnership. However, he had had, no involvement in the comments that either of those organisations had made. He had studied the Councillors Code of Conduct carefully and was coming to the meeting with an open mind on all matters before the Panel, such that he was confident he could take part in the meeting in his role as a member of the Panel.

There were no apologies.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th February 2022, for approval as a correct record.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th February 2022, be approved as a correct record.

In relation to minute 59 Appeal Decision Summary for Grove Park Care Home, Grove Lane, Meanwood, LS6 2BG Cllr Nash informed the Panel that she had been the councillor who had visited the site on her own and had voted against the approval.

Cllr Nash said that the Panel visits were an important part of the planning process. She explained that she had not been part of the site visits earlier in the day as she had already visited the site at Wetherby twice previously and she had also visited the site at Buslingthorpe Lane when it had been to this Panel previously. It was noted that Cllr Nash had attended the sites with officers.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer sets out a position statement for demolition of existing industrial buildings, repair and retention of existing boundary wall, and redevelopment of site with five multi-storey apartment blocks providing 371 dwellings (comprising 132 x 1 - beds, 198 x 2 beds and 41 x 3 beds) with associated ancillary community facilities; children's play area, public and private open spaces; basement under – croft and surface level car parking: landscaping; upgrading of vehicular and pedestrian accesses off Buslingthorpe lane; internal roads and footpaths; and other infrastructure, at Hilltop Works, Buslingthorpe Lane, Leeds, LS7 2DB.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer set out a position statement to inform Members of a proposal for the demolition of industrial buildings, repair and retention of existing boundary wall, and redevelopment of the site with five multi-storey apartments blocks providing 371 dwellings with associated ancillary community facilities at Hilltop Works, Bustlingthorpe Lane, Leeds, LS7 2DB.

Members had attended a site visit earlier in the day. Slides and photographs were shown at the meeting.

Members were informed of the following points:

·  The site has been largely vacant for a significant number of years and has fallen into disrepair. A small section of the site at the eastern end is still in economic use as a car repair garage. Members were advised that this a small proportion of the site and it is considered that to develop this site would be beneficial to the wider area and the Conservation Area in particular.

·  The proposal had originally been for 449 units but has since been reduced to 371 units comprising of:

o  132 x 1 bed units

o  198 x 2 bed units; and

o  41 x 3 bed units

·  The scheme proposes a children’s play area, public and private open space, basement under-croft and surface level car parking, landscaping, upgrading of vehicular and pedestrian access off Buslingthorpe Lane, internal roads and footpaths.

·  The proposal is for a series of 5 blocks of units:

o  Blocks A and B to be 10 storeys stepping down to 6 storeys towards the Eastern boundary

o  Block C and D to 8 storeys with Block D stepping down to 7 storeys to the east

o  Block E to be 6 storeys

·  Two access points to the site are proposed. Surface car parking has been minimised by providing basement car parking facilities that will span the underneath of the blocks. Bike storage and bin storage will also be provided in the basement area.

·  The proposal is to retain the high stone wall on the Buslingthorpe Lane frontage and rebuild the chimney to its original full height. Members were advised that some of the proposed apartments would be 5-10 metres from the wall, therefore, it was proposed that openings would be retained within the wall and railings added to let in light.

·  Aside from the heritage assets referenced above, to demolish all buildings on site including the original Hilltop Mill Building and the cottages to the western end of the site.

·  All blocks to house PV cells on the roofs and the reduced height blocks have provision for useable amenity space on the roofs.

Seth Williams and Gerald Jennings attended the meeting on behalf of the applicant and provided the Panel with the following information:

·  The developers have engaged fully with the community and ward members and undertaken a substantial amount of consultation, including holding public exhibitions. This consultation has helped in drawing up the proposed scheme.

·  This is a derelict brownfield site which is in a rundown condition. It provides significant opportunity for development which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer sets out a reserved matters application for 785 dwellings relating to scale, layout, appearance and landscaping pursuant to Outline Application (17/02594/OT) at Land off Racecourse Approach Wetherby, LS22.

The Chief Planning Officer presented a Reserved Matters application to the Plans Panel for 785 dwellings relating to scale, layout, appearance and landscaping pursuant to outline application 17/02594/OT at land off Racecourse Approach Wetherby LS22.

Members had attended a site visit earlier in the day. Slides and photographs were shown during the meeting.

Members were informed of the following points:

·  This site is a recognised development opportunity which forms part of the allocation in the Site Allocations Plan (SAP) on the northern edge of Wetherby.

·  This application is pursuant to an outline consent which was granted approval at City Plans Panel in August 2020 subject to a comprehensive list of conditions and the completion of a Section 106 Agreement. The Section 106 Agreement was completed on 20th September 2021.

·  This Reserved Matters application seeks consent for 785 dwellings

and detailed consideration of scale, layout, appearance and landscaping.

·  This is a residential development of 785 units comprising of a mix of detached, semi-detached, apartments and terraced dwellings. There would be 713 houses and 72 apartments.

·  The proposal also has 275 affordable units in a mix of 24 x two bedroom apartments, 122 x two bedroom houses, 105 x three bedroom houses and 24x four bedroom houses. This meets the affordable housing requirement.

·  Members were advised that the Council is reviewing the demand for 4 bedroom houses in this area.

·  The dwellings will be compliant with required internal space standards. The houses would be of traditional design with chimneys, using traditional materials. The housing mix was proposed as terraces, semi-detached and detached houses. Apartments were proposed as being 3 storeys, there would be 4 blocks sited close to the young offenders buildings.

·  The site will be accessed from three access points from Racecourse Approach, a comprehensive internal road layout will serve the development. This would retain the tree lined ‘Avenue’ in the south- eastern area of the site.

·  The proposed development features a central hub comprising of a primary school, retail unit and play area. Members were asked to note that the primary school and retail unit would be subject to separate planning applications.

·  The existing Public Rights of Way are to be retained and connect to new footpaths.

·  The design would see the retention and protection of natural features including Cockshot Wood and Sand Beck. A series of connecting green and blue spaces are proposed throughout the site. Various NEAP’s, LEAP’s and LAP’s are proposed as well as additional tree planting and landscaping.

Mr Owen from the Better Wetherby Partnership attended the meeting to inform the Panel why the Partnership objects to the proposals, along with Mr Catton of Wetherby Civic Society who was there to answer questions.

Mr Owen informed the Panel of the following points:

·  The Better Wetherby Partnership had attended the workshops and he said for the record that officers had provided good work at these workshops.

·  This scheme as it currently exists was proposed pre- recession. The country is now heading towards another recession with increased fuel  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

The next meeting of the North and East Plans Panel will be on Thursday 7^th April 2022, at 1:30pm in Civic Hall, Leeds.

RESOLVED – That the next meeting of North and East Plans Panel will be on Thursday 7^th April 2022 at 1:30pm, in Civic Hall.

The meeting concluded at 17:15