Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an application for the development of a Park and Ride facility with car parking or up to 1,200 cars; associated single storey terminus building, landscaping, CCTV, lighting, fencing and associated infrastructure at Land Adjacent to the M621 Junction 7 Roundabout, Bordered By Hunslet Cemetery to the West by, the A61 and the Motorway/ A61 Circulatory to the East and North, and the Middleton Residential Area to the South.

(Report attached)

(Prior to consideration of the following item Councillor E Nash informed the meeting that she had assiduously avoided as far as possible, getting into debates about this proposal at residents meetings and she had not responded to articles in the local newspaper. However, in the interest of openness and transparency, she would not participate in the discussion or any subsequent vote on this application. Councillor Nash then withdrew from the meeting)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of an application for the development of a Park and Ride facility with car parking for up to 1,200 cars; associated single storey terminus building, landscaping, CCTV, lighting, fencing and associated infrastructure at land adjacent to the M621 Junction 7 Roundabout, bordered by Hunslet Cemetery to the west, by the A61 and the Motorway/ A61 circulatory to the east and north, and the Middleton Residential Area to the south.

Members visited the site prior to the Meeting. 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:

·  Site/ location/ context

·  Site boundary

·  The proposal to create a Park and Ride facility with car parking for 1200 cars

·  Single storey terminal building, vehicle shelters and CCTV monitoring

·  Access arrangements

·  Dedicated cycle ways and footways

·  Landscaping proposals, new tree planting to protect the setting to the nearby cemetery

·  Proposals for off-site highway works

The Panel heard from Rob Chesterfield – Stop the Park and Ride in Stourton (SPARS) who was objecting to the proposal.

Mr Chesterfield said that there was a lot of concern that the issues raised by residents of the Stourton and Middleton areas and referred to in paragraph 8.4 of the submitted report had not been heard. A petition containing 3000 signatures opposing the scheme had also been prepared and submitted to the Council. Referring to the consultation on the scheme Mr Chesterfield said consultation had been low key, some public meetings had been arranged but notification about the meetings was poor and as a result attendance was low. Mr Chesterfield said it was the view of SPARS that the site before Members was not the right location for a large park and ride facility and that it would not improve traffic congestion.

Questions to Mr Chesterfield – None

The Panel heard from Martin Fitzsimmons (Will Contacts Spencer) who was also objecting to the proposal.

Mr Fitzsimmons suggested that investigations as to the suitability of the site had not been fully completed. The site was located on an area of wetland with Stourton Beck running through the site. It was suggested there would be a high risk of flooding. Earlier proposals on the use of the site (1985) suggested the land was not suitable for any building works. Mr Fitzsimmons said he was supportive of a Park and Ride facility but not in this location.

Questions to Mr Fitzsimmons – None

The Panel then heard from John Leggett (Applicants Agent) who was supportive of the application.

Mr Leggett said he was supportive of the planning officer’s recommendation for approval of the application. The site was designated in the Aire Valley Leeds Area Action Plan for a bus based Park and Ride facility. Approval of the scheme would allow extensive landscaping of the area. Commenting on the consultation process Mr Leggett said extensive consultation had taken place since 2017 resulting in the developers working with local resident groups to mitigate their concerns. The aim of the Park and Ride facility was to take traffic off the motorway, it was understood there were some concerns over safety but suitable conditions would be included within any planning consent. Mr Leggett said Park and Ride facilities such as the one proposed enjoyed strong support across the city. 

Questions to Mr Leggett

·  How would possible flooding of the site be addressed

In responding Mr Leggett said that a full drainage assessment would be undertaken and a system designed to ensure the site would drain correctly

Members raised the following questions to officers:

·  Referring to the site plans on pages 47 – 48 of the submitted report Members suggested there was very little detail provided

·  A number of Members expressed the view that this was a wide open site with a large parking area, what was being done to break up the site. Members required further details about the landscape proposals and in particular details of the boundary treatment to the cemetery

·  Would disabled toilets and changing facilities be incorporated within the terminal building

·  Would appropriate measures be put in place to reduce traffic speed for vehicles exiting the motorway to access the south side of the facility, the submitted plans did not provide sufficient detail

·  What security/ crime prevention measures for the site were proposed

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

·  The City Centre Team Leader accepted the site plans had been poorly copied and provided very little detail, however the site visit undertaken earlier in the day would have provided an opportunity for Members to understand the site and surroundings in sufficient detail

·  Members were informed that a landscape strategy had been submitted but further revised plans were required to understand the contouring and levelling of the site.

·  Members were informed that Building Regulations required that toilet facilities would be provided. A further condition could be added to ensure changing facilities were also provided.

·  The Highway officer confirmed that a full transport assessment had been undertaken and as a result a traffic light controlled gyratory system would be introduced

·  Members were informed that security/ crime prevention measures were set out within section 4.4 of the submitted Transport Assessment, which include 24/7 CCTV coverage of the site, a permanent staff presence whilst the facility was in operation, the provision of height restriction barriers at vehicle entrances and the provision of “A-Frame” barriers on the new footpaths/ cycle ways together with additional lighting.

In offering comments Members raised the following issues:

·  Members were supportive of the principle of the Park and Ride scheme at this location

·   Concern was expressed that the level of detail provided for the landscaping and terminal building design was insufficient and that determination of the application should be deferred to await the submission of final detailed designs of the scheme

·  Some Members wanted to see an improvement to the design of the terminal building such as the incorporation of a green wall and the inclusion of a changing places facility 

·  Mixed views were expressed about the provision of a café facility and a clock tower on the terminal building, some Members were supportive of these elements others were not of the same view

In summing up the Chair thanked all parties for their attendance and contributions, he said Members appeared to be generally supportive of the principle of the application but it had been made clear in the discussion that Members required a better understanding of the proposed highway works, and had concerns about the details of the landscape proposals, particularly details of the boundary treatment to the cemetery and concerns were also expressed about the design of the terminal building.

RESOLVED – That determination of the application be deferred for one cycle (24th January 2019) to await the submission of further detailed designs of the scheme