Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out detail of a pre-application presentation which sets out detail of a proposal for the change of use and extension to an existing department store and other ground floor adjacent units, to repurpose the basement, ground and first floors for flexible commercial uses, and to repurpose the second and third floors and add a 4th and 5th floor extension for student accommodation at the former Debenhams, 115 - 125 Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6LX

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which set out detail of a

pre-application presentation which proposed a change of use and extension to an existing department store and other ground floor adjacent units, to repurpose the basement, ground and first floors for flexible commercial uses, and to repurpose the second and third floors and add a 4th and 5th floor extension for student accommodation at the former Debenhams, 115 - 125 Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6LX.

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

The applicant’s representatives addressed the Panel, speaking in detail about the proposal and highlighted the following:

·  Site / location / context

·  The site is located within the defined City Centre

·  The proposed alterations would complement rather than compete with the character and appearance of the heritage assets and would allow this city centre site to continue to be in active use.

·  Former Department Store consisting of two separate buildings no 115 – 120 Grade II Listed Building and 121 Briggate a 1930s building, a street fronting Café at 7-9 Kirkgate and Hairdressers to 7 Fish Street

·  The proposal - To create basement, ground and first floor E Use Class commercial uses and student accommodation to the second and third upper floors and in a new two storey roof extension (replacing the existing roof extension).

·  The student accommodation would be in the form of 124 bedspaces in 90 studio flats (ranging from 20 to 28m2) and 17 double sized-duel occupancy studios, termed as “Two dios” (ranging from 32 to 54m2), with 4 shared communal spaces.

·  New commercial spaces at ground floor level

·  Courtyard space in the heart of the building

·  Creation of outdoor and indoor amenity space (Wellbeing garden)

·  Plant room, set back on roof

In offering comments, Members raised the following issues:

·  Members were generally supportive of the proposals

·  Further design details were required in particular for the proposed window treatment to the upper two floors and the proposal to match the ziggurat window detailing below

·  More details were required around the communal facilities and the quality of the living space

·  Careful consideration needs to be given to the internal layout for both buildings (The relationship with the listed building and the new build element)

·  Could the development be “future proofed” to accommodate other uses, should the demand for residential use, be not required in future

·  Members were of the view that some “quality retail” at ground floor level be retained

·  Consider the use of internal bins stores and how that is managed

In offering comments on the officers’ questions in the report:

·  Members were supportive in principle to the proposed use of the site for student accommodation to the upper floors and Use Class E commercial uses to the ground and first floors, with the resulting loss of potential retail space.

·  Subject to the submission of further details, Members considered the living conditions within the student accommodation to be acceptable.

·  Subject to further design considerations for the top two floors, Members were generally supportive of the emerging design principles.

The Chair thanked the developers for their attendance and presentation suggesting that Members appeared to be generally supportive of the development.

RESOLVED –

(i)  To note the details contained in the pre-application presentation

(ii)  That the developers be thanked for their attendance and presentation