Agenda item

The report of the Chief Planning Officer presents a reserved matters application for office building pursuant to outline planning permission 13/02619OT at Whitehall Riverside Whitehall Road Leeds LS1

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out details of a reserved matters application for office development, pursuant to outline permission 13/02619/OT for 3 office buildings, multi-storey car park and pavilion unit with ground floor food, drink and gym uses and public realm at Whitehall Riverside, Whitehall Road, Leeds LS1 4AW.

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 addressed the Panel, speaking in detail about the proposal and highlighted the following:

·  Site/ location/context

·  The development is for Phase 3 of the Whitehall Riverside scheme (Application No.13/02619/OT)

·  The proposal is to construct an 8 storey office building (B1 office use) the building is identified as No.3 Whitehall Riverside

·  Materials – bronze aluminium projecting framework around full height glazing with bronze anodised aluminium vertical panels and a clear glazed ground floor

·  Building designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent status, and would generate at least 10% zero carbon energy on-site from roof top solar panels

·  62 car parking spaces, including up to 6 electric vehicle charging points and disabled car parking spaces

·  73 long stay cycle parking spaces, showers, lockers and drying room facilities

·  Areas of public realm

·  Landscaped pedestrian routes are proposed between all the buildings at the site and the proposal for No. 3 would add to that and complete the central section of the site.

·  Hard surfacing would be a mix of natural stone setts, natural stone slabs, and bonded gravel to the riverside walkway.

Members raised the following questions to officers/ applicant’s representatives

·  This application is for phase 3 of the development, why has work not progressed on phases 1 & 2

·  There is a derelict area of land next to this site and bordering the River Aire, could anything be done to improve this area of land

·  How many public car parking spaces would be available and how many of those within the multi-storey car park would be available for public use

In responding to the issues raised, Planning Officers/ the applicant’s representatives said:

·  The applicant’s representative said that there was a set timescale to bring forward proposals, for instance with the outline planning permission having provided two years within which the reserved matters application had to be progressed and then the reserved matters permission providing a further two years in which work could start on site. The applicant’s  representative stated that his client was in the process of completing negotiation of a tenancy on the phase 2 building before works could begin. The intention  was to start on phase 2 this year.There is a two-year building programme for the multi-storey car park, with time frames for subsequent condition discharge.  Following this, building 3 will be able to come forward and will also be progressed in a timely manner

·  Members were informed that the derelict area of land was not in the ownership of the applicant. The City Centre Team Leader said inquiries would be made to ascertain responsibility for the space and if the site was or could be maintained

·  Members were informed that there were currently 423 spaces in the temporary car park, but this would be reduced by half by the end of 2020 and the permission for use of the space as a temporary car park would (in any event) expire at the end of 2022. This was part of the programme of managed reduction of City Centre temporary car parks and planning permission for use of the space as a temporary car park would not be renewed.

·  Once completed the multi-storey car park would have 351 short stay public spaces and 173 spaces serving the 4 office buildings.

In offering comments Members raised the following matters:

·  It was important that a serious commitment be made to progress work on the site, so that there is no undue ‘stalling’ of development and the development does come forward. The applicant’s intention for delivery of the development should be recorded as part of this application.

The Chair thanked the developers for their attendance and presentation, commenting that Members appeared to be supportive of the application.

RESOLVED – That Application No. 19/02455/RM be approved (Appearance, landscaping, layout and scale) pursuant to original outline planning permission and conditions (Application No. 13/02619/OT).