Agenda item

Further to minute 68 of the Plans Panel City Centre meeting held on 4^th March, to consider a further report of the Chief Planning Officer on the addition of a new southern entrance with access walkway and new footbridges to railway station

(report attached)

  Further to minute 68 of the Plans Panel City Centre meeting held on 4^th March 2010, where Panel approved in principle the application for a new southern entrance with access walkway and new footbridges to Leeds Railway Station, Members considered a further report setting out how cycling facilities could be improved and consideration of the potential impact of increased footfall in the public realm within the adjacent Granary Wharf scheme

  The Central Area Planning Manager referred to an objection which had been received from a resident of Blue Apartments, who whilst being supportive of the proposals had raised concerns at the size of the development; potential loss of light; impact on property values; potential noise nuisance from a pa system and that the proposals did not include a new taxi rank

  Members were informed that with the exception of property values and a pa system, these issues had been considered at the previous meeting

  Regarding loss of light, Officers accepted that there would be some loss of visual dominance but that the benefits of the proposals outweighed this and the options for locating the entrance elsewhere had been considered by the applicants

  Loss of property values was not a material planning consideration and in relation to the concerns raised about potential noise nuisance, no external pa system was to be provided however an extra condition could be attached, with Panel’s agreement, controlling the implementation of any pa system associated with the new entrance

  Officers presented the report and stated that additional cycle parking provision had been proposed, this comprising 20 extra cycle parking spaces in one of the Dark Arches.   Officers were of the view that this increased amount of cycle parking together with the other provision in the planned cycle hub and the existing cycle provision outside the station was sufficient

  In relation to the impact of increased pedestrian flow on the public realm at Granary Wharf and the concerns expressed on behalf of City Inn, the Panel was informed that survey data and modelling had indicated that approximately 750 pedestrians would walk through Granary Wharf at peak hour.  Officers were of the view that the public realm in Granary Wharf was robust in quality and of a size which could accommodate this level of footfall

  Members were informed that Network Rail would provide CCTV, lighting and signage

  Additional comments had been received from British Waterways who had expressed concern at the possibility of increased litter in the area.   To address this a sum of £35,000 over 5 years by way of a Section 106 Legal Agreement had been requested, or a more suitably worded condition be attached to the permission.   Officers considered that a condition could be worded to include a monitoring period for a year.  On this matter, the Panel was informed that City Inn had requested ongoing annual monitoring, although Officers felt this was too onerous

  Members commented on the following matters:

·  the location of the nearest taxi rank

·  that ongoing litter monitoring should not be imposed and six month’s monitoring could be considered

·  the impact of the proposals on the residents of the Blue Apartments

Having considered the points made, the Central Area Planning

Manager stated that a monitoring period of one year had been chosen in order to look at activity through the seasons

  RESOLVED -  To grant planning permission subject to the specified conditions recommended at the Plans Panel City Centre meeting held on 4^th March 2010, and the additional conditions set out in the submitted report, with condition 16 being amended to include a requirement for a one year monitoring period to assess the implication of the development for litter generation and collection arrangements with any mitigation measures to be agreed subsequent to this period; an additional condition to control the implementation of any Public Announcement system associated with the new entrance and new conditions 20 and 21, as set out in the submitted report