Agenda item

To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on an application for use of site as new park and ride facility

(report attached)

  Plans and photographs were displayed at the meeting

  Officers presented the report which sought approval for a park and ride facility on land at D car park, Elland Road, with the Council being the applicant

  Members were informed that the site was currently used for match day parking only and that the proposals were for a park and ride site comprising approximately 424 car parking spaces to be formally laid out, which would include some disabled parking spaces.  An overspill area would also be made good for over 300 spaces.  Bus shelters, ticket machines and portacabins for staff would also be provided 

A bus service of 15 minute frequency would operate which would run into the City Centre via Elland Road to Boar Lane and would return via the M621

  The park and ride facility would operate Monday – Saturday, although the facility would not operate on Saturdays when there was a home match

  Concerns about the impact of the proposals had been received from Ward Members and local residents

  Officers considered that the scheme would not increase the amount of traffic and would result in traffic being diverted from the local residential areas.  In terms of air pollution, it was acknowledged there was an existing problem in the area but by removing traffic from hotspots, this could improve the levels of air pollution

  The receipt of a representation from Eurocabs Hackney Carriage Association was reported, which included a request for taxi provision in the scheme.  Members were informed that whilst this could be accommodated it would not be in the spirit of the proposals but that if it was to be included, further consultation and a fresh planning application would be required

  Members discussed the application and commented on the following matters:

·  the special buses which operated to take fans from the City Centre to Elland Road and whether these would use the proposed facilities

·  the proximity of Elland Road to the City Centre, in view of most park and rides sites being located a significant distance from a town or city centre

·  the proposed frequency of the park and ride buses in view of the existing bus services which ran along Elland Road at a frequency of approximately 6 minutes at peak time

·  the number of stops en route into the City Centre

·  the extent of the survey work which had been undertaken to consider suitable sites

·  whether there would be provision for cyclists

·  the impact of the proposals on the popular Valentine Fair and the loss of some land to a recently approved application for an Ice Rink

·  concerns about the speed in drawing up the proposals to secure the facility and the lack of important detail such as the quality of the landscaping to be provided and how people would be attracted to use the park and ride

·  the use of portacabins and that if the site did become a permanent park and ride that portacabins would not be appropriate

·  that the proposals would take cars off the M621 and divert them to the Ring Road with concerns that a greater level of congestion would result

·  that a substantial landscaping plan was required, rather than a green fringe which was indicated on the plans

·  the need for a further report to be presented to Panel on the situation regarding the number of illegal car parks on the fringe of the City Centre

The following responses were provided:

·  that the existing bus provision in the area would not change

·  that the distance of the site to the City Centre was similar to a park and ride site in York and that although sites further out had been examined, the Elland Road site fit the criteria as it was a brownfield site; was in Council ownership and could be implemented quickly

·  that the intention was for the park and ride facility to stand alone, rather than utilise existing bus services which were also located outside the site

·  that three stops would be provided into the City Centre so the journey would be fast

·  that a large traffic model had been created to ascertain the destinations of drivers on three main routes

·  that some cycle storage would be provided

·  that the Valentine Fair could still be accommodated and would be sited on Council owned land to the rear of the site

The Chief Planning Officer referred to the smaller site which was confirmed could be a development plot.  In view of this, the Chief Planning Officer suggested that as this was a strategic location there should be a distinction drawn in any planning permission between the permanent facility and the temporary element, with a condition to time limit the temporary use to a maximum of 5 years, although this could be varied if no development proposals for that part of the site had come forward

In summing up the debate, the Chair referred to the problems of car parking in the City Centre; that the facility would reduce the number of car journeys; lead to improved levels of air pollution and considered that the proposals would not increase traffic queues at the M621 or the Ring Road

The Panel considered how to proceed

RESOLVED -  That the application be approved, subject to the conditions set out in the submitted report and further conditions which distinguished between the permanent and temporary facility and which time limited the temporary element to the use for park and ride facilities for a maximum of 5 years, with the possibility of varying this in the event no development proposals had come forward for the land