Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer and to receive a pre-application presentation in relation to a new major mixed use scheme proposed on the vacant former Lumiere development site between Wellington Street and Whitehall Road, Leeds.

This is a pre-application presentation and no formal decision on the development will be taken, however it is an opportunity for Panel Members to ask questions, raise issues, seek clarification and comment on the proposals at this stage. There is no opportunity for public speaking about the proposals outlined in the presentation.

The report of the Chief Planning Officer introduced a pre-application presentation in relation to a new major mixed use scheme proposed on the vacant former Lumiere development site between Wellington Street and Whitehall Road, Leeds.

The following representatives attended and addressed the meeting:-

-  Mike Gardener, Central Square Development Team

-  Tim Mc Donald, Central Square Development Team

-  Gary Kempston, Central Square Development Team

-  Matthew Sheppard, Central Square Development Team

Members were shown detailed plans and photographs of the scheme.

The presentation highlighted the following key areas:-

• Location
• Listed Properties
• Site heritage
• Prime Office quarter
• Existing Uses – upper floors
• Vehicle movements/Pedestrian routes
• Properties to the north
• Wellington Street/Whitehall Road access
• Predominant features
• The Design Concept
• Form finding exercises
• Massing Development
• Massing View: Along Whitehall Street
• Site Section
• Plan layouts – vehicle paths/arrival strategy
• Public Realm themes/study
• Design Quality
• Technical Aspects

The Chair then invited questions and comments from Members on the specific proposals of the pre-application.

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues and the applicant team duly responded:-

• Clarification of the current temporary bus stops to the frontage on Wellington Street

(The applicant confirmed that bus drop off stops were currently being addressed by highways)

• Clarification of the materials to be used in relation to the public entrance through the building to the proposed public space and concerns expressed about the security issues when accessing the public space at night time

(The applicant agreed to look into this)

• Concerns about the visual impact of the wall around the base of the building and clarification of its purpose

(The applicant confirmed that the wall would act as screening in relation to the delivery of goods services. He agreed to consider this issue further)

• Clarification about which of the two buildings would be erected first and the timescales involved

(The applicant confirmed that the proposals were speculative and the intention was to  submit details in full for the southern building and outline for the northern building at this present time)

• Clarification will be needed of the restrictions/conditions relating to operation of the bandstand in the public space to avoid creating a nuisance for adjacent occupiers

At this point in the proceedings, the Chair invited a general debate from Members on those matters requiring specific consideration.

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

• The need to address daylight modelling to the proposed square; to retrieve the bus stops and laybys that were lost following the works related to the Lumiere scheme and the importance of incorporating appropriate clauses in the Section 106 to optimise opportunities for jobs and employment training for local people arising from the development

In concluding discussions, the Chair put forward the following specific matters for Members consideration:-

• were the footprints and layout of the buildings acceptable?
• were the scale and massing of the buildings acceptable?
• were the proposed materials and elevational treatments acceptable?
• were the measures employed to protect the amenity of surrounding

residents e.g. distances between building facades; angles between

building facades; relative heights, sufficient?

• was the provision of the additional open space area supported in this

form with the new access points on to Whitehall Road and Wellington

Street?

It was the consensus of the meeting that the layout, scale and massing were generally acceptable and that the provision of the open space was supported. However the Panel requested more detail on the proposed materials and elevational treatments and on the measures proposed to protect the amenity of surrounding residents.

RESOLVED – That the report and pre-application presentation be noted.

(Councillor E Nash having previously declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in this item, left the room and took no part in the voting or discussion thereon)

(Councillor M Hamilton left the meeting at 4.05pm at the conclusion of this item)

(Councillor R Procter left the meeting at 4.05pm at the conclusion of this item)