Agenda and draft minutes

Councillors Akhtar, Anderson, Jones and Heselwood attended the site visit 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 the 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’.

No declarations of interests were made at the meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllrs Sharpe and Stephenson. Cllr Buckley attended the meeting as substitute for Cllr Stephenson.

The Legal Adviser to the Panel read out the following statement:

Before we start today’s meeting, as members know, as a result of local and regional elections being called for the 2 May, currently we are in the pre-election period of heightened sensitivity period.

The Chair has asked me to advise members that the purpose of the pre-election period is not to prevent the Council carrying out its normal business, but it is to prevent the business conducted by the Council being used or having the potential to be perceived as being used, to secure any electoral advantage.

As such, please treat this as normal Plans Panel meeting but be mindful of debate that amounts to or could reasonably be perceived to amount to electioneering.

The reminded Members of the North and East Plans Panel that this would be the last meeting for Cllr McKenna as he was retiring. He thanked him for all the work that he done over the many years as a Councillor and for the work that he had done on Plans Panels.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 29^th February 2024, for approval as a correct record.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 29^th February 2024, be approved as a correct record.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer requests Members consideration on an application for the installation and operation of a Battery Energy Storage System and associated infrastructure at Land To The North Of Allerton Bywater, To The West Of The A656 Barnsdale Road, South Of Kippax.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer set out an application seeking planning permission for the installation and operation of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and associated infrastructure at land to the north of Allerton Bywater, and the west of the A656 Barnsdale Road, south of Kippax.

Members had attended a site visit early in the day. Slides and photographs were shown throughout the presentation.

The application was brought before North and East Plans Panel at the request of Councillors Lewis and Harland.

The presenting officer provided the Panel with the following information:

·  The land was 2 hectares of Green Belt located near to Allerton Bywater, Ledston and Kippax. It was near Ledston substation, Low Lodge a grade II listed building, a listed barn at Home Farm, the grade I listed Ledston Hall and grade II Ledston Hall Registered Park and Garden, and the proposed Solar Park. It was noted that the application for the Solar Park had already been granted given there were very special circumstances, but the development had not yet started on this site.

·  It was noted that the site was open agricultural land with the proposed access off Barnsdale Road between Low Lodge and Ledston substation. The substation is enclosed by hedgerow and trees.

·  In the area there are several nature conservation sites including Kippax Lodge Pond Local Wildlife Site, Newton Ings Local Wildlife Site and Fairburn Ings and Newton Ings Site of Special Scientific Interest.

·  The proposal was for a 40MW Battery Energy Storage System for a duration of 40 years, with associated infrastructure. This would consist of 32 battery units and 16 invertor/transformer units located within a hardstanding compound. A proposed 66kV substation would be surrounded with a high security fence, and comprise of control room, auxiliary building, water tanks and a parking area.

·  Members were advised that the proposal included the planting of 81 trees, shrubs and hedgerows, and there was no lighting proposed. It was noted there would be some views through the vegetation, but the planting would provide screening.

·  Objections to the proposed application had been received from Councillors Lewis and Harland, local MP, Kippax and Ledston Parish Councils and 907 objections with an additional 2 more since the publication of the papers. The public responses were set out at Paragraphs 44 to 51 of the submitted report.

·  Environmental Health had said that noise would not exceed permitted levels.

·  The LCC Nature Team had recommended that conditions should be added to the decision relating to the requirement for the Construction Environmental Management Plan, a Landscape and Biodiversity Net Gain Management Plan, Biodiversity Net Gain Habitat Monitoring Reports, Method Statement for Great Crested Newts and for plans to be submitted relating to bat and bird pole mounted roosting.

·  It was acknowledged that there had been significant concern from local residents on the issue of fire safety and the adverse impact on local communities should a fire occur. The only known incident in the UK had happened at Liverpool in February 2020.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 87.

To note the next meeting of the North and East Plans Panel will be on 25^th April 2024 at 1.30pm.

RESOLVED – To note the next meeting of the North and East Plans Panel will be Thursday 25^th April 2024 at 1:30pm.

The meeting concluded at 14:45