Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application which seeks the demolition of existing podium building and erection of one 15 storey and one 27 storey student accommodation building over basement car park, with ground floor A2, A3 or A4 floorspace and provision of new public realm, Merrion Way, Tower House Street and Brunswick Terrace, Leeds 2

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an application which sought the demolition of the existing podium building and the erection of one 15 storey and one 27 storey student accommodation building over basement car park, with ground floor A2, A3 or A4 floorspace and provision of new public realm, Merrion Way, Tower House Street and Brunswick Terrance, Leeds 2.

Site photographs and plans were displayed and referred to throughout the discussion of the application.

Planning Officers together with the applicant’s representatives addressed the Panel, speaking in detail about the proposal and highlighted the following:

The proposal is to demolish the existing 2 storey podium building and associated basement car park. Two new buildings would be erected contemporaneously. Tower A would be 15 storeys (approximately 46 metres) in height, Tower B is a 27 storey building would be approximately 78m tall. This proposed student accommodation would be accessed from a reception area on the southern side of Tower B to the east.

The proposals identify an active frontage around much of this building. An area of external seating serving the commercial unit is proposed along the west side the premises.

Student bicycle storage facilities would be provided in the ground floor of Tower B. Dedicated student amenity space would be provided at mezzanine level and the majority of the first floor of the building. In total, 1,344m2 of amenity space would be provided for the students.

Student accommodation would be located from first floor of the buildings upwards. There would be a total of 94 studios and 152 cluster flats of which there would be 74, four bedroom clusters; 4, five bedroom clusters and 74, seven bedroom clusters. In total there would be 928 bedspaces across the development. Each of the studios, situated north and south of the core in the centre of each building, would be 30m2. Cluster bedrooms would be 11.4m2. Cluster living /kitchen spaces would be situated at each of the corners of the buildings. These spaces would be 23m2 for 4 bedroom cluster flats and 40m2 for the 5 and 7 bedroom clusters.

Glazing and off-white aluminum cladding are proposed as the principal building materials. The base of the buildings, comprising ground, mezzanine and first floor levels, would utilise double-height curtain wall glazing. The upper levels of the east and west elevations of the buildings would be articulated with chamfered returns to the secondary plane comprising curtain walling, spandrel panels and louvred panels with inward-opening windows located behind.

Proposals for the public realm identify new hardsurfacing extending across the entirety of the site. As such, the existing vehicular ramp at the western end of the podium building would be removed and infilled and would form part of a widened pedestrian approach along Brunswick Terrace from Merrion Way towards the arena. The remaining area to the north of the new buildings would be resurfaced as part of an extended area of public realm between the towers and the arena.

A new north-south public, pedestrian, route would be formed through the centre of the site between Towers A and B directly linking Merrion Way with Brunswick Terrace and the arena. The 9 metre wide route would extend southwards through the existing strip of greenspace via new steps that would be formed on the southern edge of the terrace. A new footpath would also be formed linking Merrion Way and Brunswick Terrace to the east of Tower B. The footway fronting Merrion Way would be realigned and resurfaced as part of the public realm works. Two loading bays would be formed alongside Merrion Way; one to the front of Tower A and one closer to Arena Point.

Members raised the following questions:

·  Do the 4 bedroom cluster flats comply with the National Described Space Standards (NDSS) 

·  The external materials to be used (off-white aluminum cladding) could a sample panel be provided.

·  Would a wind impact assessment take into account the pattern of wind flow and how this could change

·  A number of Members expressed concern about possible overspill of the active frontage area (proposed Bar/ Pub development) given the possible number of students living above and requested if a condition could be included to control/ manage the outside space.

·   Could the outside space/green space be extended along the northern side of Merrion Way towards Arena Point and could planters be provided for shelter adjacent to the proposed seating area.

·  Could any new trees planted be provided with sufficient room to grow

In responding to the issues raised, the applicant’s representative and council officers said:

·  Referring to paragraph 9.2.14 of the submitted report, Members were advised that student cluster accommodation was not specifically identified within the NDSS. The standard suggested that a 4 bedroom, 4 person apartment should have a minimum area of 81m², the proposal identified an area of 86 m², therefore the NDSS would be exceeded if applied in this way.

·  It was suggested that the quality/ appearance of the external materials would be controlled through planning conditions and a sample panel would be made available on site.

·  Officers reported that the wind impact assessment was based on quantitative modelling works and this methodology was found to be feasible and reasonable by the Council’s independent review.

·  Referring to possible overspill of the outside area, the City Centre Team Leader suggested that restricting seating away from the Merrion Way frontage may address this issue and that condition No. 34 be amended accordingly

·  Officers confirmed the extension of the outside space/green space and the provision of planters would be sought with the proposal.

·  Officers confirmed that the landscaping scheme would be conditioned to allow adequate spacing between the trees and growing conditions.

In offering comments Members raised the following issues:

·  A number of Members were of the view that the room sizes appeared to be adequate

·  Members requested if the external cladding could be viewed prior to its installation

·  There was some concerns about how the outside space would be managed

·  Could the wind impact assessment identify the areas of greatest impact

·  Raised at previous meetings of this Panel when Members had requested an analysis of student accommodation and the shift of the student population from the outer areas into the city centre and the impact on businesses and services within the city centre. Members asked if the requested analysis could be provided at the earliest opportunity.

In responding the Chief Planning Officer said that some work had been undertaken which suggested the demand for student accommodation within the city centre had not yet been met but further analysis was still required and once completed would be the subject of a seminar to Members.

The City Centre Team Leader noted that proposed condition no.11 controlled the approval of samples of the external cladding. It was stated that Plans Panel Members would have the opportunity to view the cladding sample panels on site prior to their agreement.

Members welcomed the response provided by the Chief Planning Officer and the City Centre Team Leader.

In summing up the Chair thanked all parties for their attendance and contributions suggesting Members appeared to be supportive of the application.

RESOLVED – That the application be deferred and delegated to the Chief Planning Officer for approval subject to the conditions specified in Appendix 1 of the submitted report (and any others which he might consider appropriate) and the completion of a Section 106 agreement to include the following obligations:

·  Use of accommodation for use solely by students in full-time higher education;

·  A travel plan monitoring fee of £2,500;

·  Implementation of travel plan;

·  Contribution of £170,000 towards Merrion Way highway improvements;

·  Local employment and training initiatives;

·  Section 106 management fee of £1500.

In the event of the Section 106 Agreement having not been completed within 3 months of the resolution to grant planning permission, the final determination of the application shall be delegated to the Chief Planning Officer.