Agenda item

To receive and consider the attached report of the Chief Planning Officer regarding a listed building application to demolish a former con mill building and an application for a part two, part three storey office block with car parking.

  Further to minute 40 of the South and West Plans Panel meeting held on 6^th December 2012, where Panel considered a position statement for planning permission and Listed Building consent for the demolition of a former corn mill building and the erection of an office development at Corn Mill Fold, Corn Mill View Horsforth LS18, Members considered a further report of the Chief Planning Officer setting out the formal application

Plans, photographs and drawings were displayed at the meeting

Officers presented the report and provided further information to Panel on the following matters:

·  the contamination which existed on the site and which would need to be removed had now been found to be more serious than had at first been thought

·  the need for higher finished floor levels of any development to protect against flooding

·  that only 14 car parking spaces were being proposed and the view of Officers that 28 spaces were needed for the development being put forward

·  that the possibility of using some of the nearby residential car parking for this development was not acceptable

·  that whilst the Conservation Officer was prepared to accept the design of the scheme, the issue about the level of car parking proposed remained

·  that demolition of the former corn mill could not be agreed to as the alternative, proposed scheme was not acceptable

As the Officer’s recommendation was to refuse the application, the

Panel heard representations from the applicant’s agent in support of the development and from an objector to the proposals

  The Panel considered how to proceed

  RESOLVED -  That the applications be refused for the following reasons:

  Application 11/023908LI

  The applicant has not put forward an acceptable scheme for the redevelopment of the site.  The proposed demolition of this listed building cannot therefore be justified in the terms set down in paragraphs 131 to 133 of the National Planning Policy Framework, and the development is contrary to Policy N14 of the Leeds Unitary Development Plan (Review 2006) which states that demolition of a listed building will be permitted only in exceptional circumstances and with the strongest possible justification

Application 11/02389/FU

1  The development would result in a demand for car parking which

cannot be satisfactorily accommodated within the site.  This would lead to an increase in on-street parking which would be detrimental to the safe and free flow of traffic and pedestrian convenience and safety and would be contrary to policies GP5 and T24 of the Leeds Unitary Development Plan (Review 2006)

2  The proposed development, as a result of its design and size, fails to

reflect the scale and massing of the listed building.  In particular the south elevation of the mill (whether rebuilt or retained in situ) will appear as though it has been transplanted onto the face of a larger and unrelated scheme and will lack integrity.  The proposal is therefore contrary to policies N13, N14 and N16 of the Leeds Unitary Development Plan Review and the requirements of the NPPF to secure high quality design