Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of a Reserved Matters Application for appearance, scale and landscaping for Phase 3 development of Blocks B and C for 331 build to rent units and ancillary accommodation together with Class A1 and A3 use and the provision of public realm areas with the Phase 3 area pursuant to Outline Planning Permission 14/06534/OT - Quarry Hill St Peters Street Leeds LS2 7UP.

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer presented a report on a reserved matters application for appearance, scale and landscaping for phase 3 development of Blocks B and C for 331 build to rent units and ancillary accommodation together with Class A1 and A3 use and the provision of public realm areas with the phase 3 area pursuant to Outline Planning Permission 14/06534/OT - Quarry Hill St Peters Street Leeds LS2 7UP.

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

The Planning Officer provided the Panel with the following information:

• This is part of the larger Quarry Hill (SoYo) development which is the area of land which links Playhouse Square in the West, to Quarry House in the East
• The proposal was for 331 Build to Rent apartments arranged in two inverted C format blocks. Block B would be seven stories located as the eastern most of the two blocks, with Block C part thirteen storey, part twelve storey and part eight storey located thirteen metres due west of Block B, with public realm in the middle of the development.
• Blocks E and F are currently in construction and block A (the multi-storey car park) has been granted reserved matters consent
• The site has vehicular access from the A64 York Road/Inner Ring Road to the north and from York Street to the south
• To the west is Leeds Playhouse, to the south is Leeds College of Music with its associated student residential tower and the Northern Ballet Headquarters
• Pedestrian access is gained from the west using the pedestrian steps and ramp to Eastgate Roundabout which is outside the application site. There is also a pedestrian bridge across the A64 to Mabgate which is accessed from the north eastern corner of Quarry Hill
• The proposal is that both buildings are to be faced predominantly in brickwork cladding material sat atop a colonnade level at ground floors formed of a lighter architectural block stone cladding. Block B would have a larger quantity of rain screen aluminium cladding in bronze tones to the eastern elevation with the predominant facing material to other elevations in brick. Block C includes soldier coursing banding that frames the elevation with this replicated within the aluminium rain screen as a lighter colour panel. Windows throughout both blocks are proposed of bronze tone framework with the exception of the higher levels on Block C where chrome tones were proposed
• The application proposed undercroft car parking cycle stores and bin stores for each block
• The ground floor colonnade would be integral with the public realm area
• The development proposes a mix of units including studios, 1 bed, 2 bed and 3 bed apartments. It was noted that all apartments meet with the required national space standards
• The application proposes a planted buffer for the lower ground floor close to habitable and public realm areas. Soft and hard landscaping with vertical planting to ‘green up’ blocks of wall. It was noted that the species of plants were unknown at present, and this would form part of the condition for landscaping and maintenance
• Comments had been received from Leeds Civic Trust which were set out at paragraph 9.11 of the submitted report, but no objections had been received.

Responding to questions from Members the Panel were informed of the following points:

·  There is no proposed change to the arrangements to control the management and pricing of the multi-storey car park which is controlled through the outline consent. However, the developers were of the view that it was not economically viable at this present time to deliver the multi-storey car park whilst there was available funding and market demand to deliver the residential development on phase 3. It was noted within the report that there was alternative available parking in the area.

·   Although St Peters Street and St Cecilia Street would be the routes used for delivery vehicles and car access, pedestrians and cyclists would also be able to use the proposed public realm through the site. It was considered that cyclists would be able to use the public realm with no adverse impact on pedestrians

·  The Council’s Design Consultant eased concerns in relation to the extent and appearance of the cladding to the eastern elevation of block B, explaining that this was not a principle elevation with limited street views as it faced Quarry House

·  In relation to affordable housing it was noted that this phase was proposed as general market housing with the affordable housing to be delivered through a housing association at the level required by policy at the time of the outline application. The reserved matters submission now seeks to provide the residential accommodation as a build to rent development with the affordable housing to be provided at discounted market rents as allowed for by the council’s updated affordable housing policies which now reflect this model of delivery. In this case the applicant had submitted a viability assessment to demonstrate that they could not meet the full level of affordable housing required by the revised policy but that 27 units would be provided with discounted market rents controlled through the S106 agreement. The District Valuer had provided a report and was present at the meeting to clarify his assessment, which had taken in to account increased construction costs and the impact of the Covid pandemic.

Members comments to the proposal were as follows:

·   Members made comment with regards to the colour of the brickwork and window frames which in their view made the buildings appear too dark in contrast to the appearance of the approved blocks E and F. It was acknowledged that a trimming to the buildings could be in a lighter cladding and this would be discussed with the developers. The architect for the development addressed the Panel to provide clarification on the design of the buildings, saying they would be happy to discuss further, the materials for this. It was noted that not all Members were of the same mind to use a lighter material to the trimming of the buildings.  It was noted that at a previous panel to discuss this development, it had been suggested a bridge should be designed to access the development from the City Centre as this is a busy road with no safe access for pedestrians

·  It was the view that the proposed cycles routes may conflict with pedestrians and that this is something that the Panel need to address on future developments

·   It was a concern that if trees were to be planted in planters, the planters should have an open bottom, otherwise the trees would die

Councillor Nash moved the motion with the proviso that there be discussions to reconsider the trimming of the buildings in a lighter colour.

RESOLVED – To defer and delegate to the Chief Planning Officer to approve the application in principal as set out in the report, with further discussions to be had with the developers on materials.