Agenda item

To consider a report by the Chief Planning Officer which sets out details of an outline application for circa 875 dwellings including means of primary vehicle access and central spine road and associated infrastructure works. (All other matters reserved) on land to the South of the A64 York Road and the North of Leeds Road, Leeds.

(Report attached)

The Chief Planning Officer submitted a report which sets out details of an outline application for circa 875 dwellings including means of primary vehicle access and central spine road and associated infrastructure works. (All other matters reserved) on land to the South of the A64 York Road and the North of Leeds Road, Leeds.

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

The Planning Case Officer addressed the Panel, speaking in detail about the proposal which included the following:

·  Site/ Location/ Context

·  East Leeds Extension, Housing Allocation (Middle Quadrant)

·  Leeds ELOR Route

·  Outline planning permission for circa 875 dwellings, including means of primary vehicle access, central spine road and associated infrastructure works (All other matters reserved).

·  The scale and nature of the development proposed means that it is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development, so is accompanied by an Environmental Statement (ES), as well as an illustrative masterplan to demonstrate how the relationships with east Leeds, nearby villages and ELOR can be addressed.

·  Views onto Greenspace

·  Spine Road throughout the development

·  ELOR York Road junction access

·  Public Transport penetration, bus stop locations

·  Segregated cycleway

·  Greenspace drainage infrastructure, run-off to Cock Beck

·  Section 106 Agreement to include an ELOR contribution (£19,717,413)

·  15% Affordable Housing provision

·  Contribution towards Primary Education

The Planning Case Officer reported the receipt of further correspondence from a Ward Councillor who was requesting the public consultation be “ramped up”. There was also some concern about the provision of wellbeing facilities in the area, given this was just one of the of the four proposed housing development for the East Leeds Extension. The proposals had been discussed on a number of occasions at the East Leeds Extension Consultative Forum. A further letter had also been received expressing some concern about debris in Cock Beck and the potential for flooding.

Members raised the following questions to officers:

·  The ELOR had already been decided, are members now being asked to approve the principle of the housing development i.e. circa 875 dwellings plus the means of access because the details around house type/ housing mix is vague.

·  Based on the number of units proposed there was some concern about over-development of the site, had any approaches been made to reducing the number of units.

·  Was there likely to be an impact on traffic into Scholes Village

·  Where was the local centre going to be located.

·  There was a disused railway line running through the site, could it be preserved as a footpath

·  Had Healthcare Partners been formally consulted on future Healthcare provision in the area

·  Had there been any discussions about play space provision in the area

In responding to the issues raised, officers and representatives of the applicant said:

·  The Planning Case Officer said currently the housing mix was indicative. This indicative mix was in accordance with housing mix policy and had been used to calculate the site greenspace requirements.  The reserved matters application would determine the actual housing mix provision.

·  Members were not being asked to approve a detailed housing layout at this stage. Approval was sought for the access details to the site and the general arrangement of housing development areas and greenspace areas. The Group Manager said the application set out a site wide masterplan which indicated not only where housing would be provided but also the strategy for greenspace provision, connectivity through the site and site wide drainage.

·  The Planning Case Officer said that once the details of the phases had been received and the greenspace provision, distance between dwellings and other residential design requirements factored in, it would then be possible to determine the actual number of dwellings which could be provided at Reserved Matters stage

·  Members were informed that access into Scholes would be along Leeds Road, there was no other vehicle access

·  The Planning Case Officer said the Local Centre would be located within the northern end of the adjacent Southern Quadrant site, together with existing facilities being available in Swarcliffe

·  It was confirmed the disused railway line would be retained as a footpath

·  The Planning Case Officer said comments had been received from the East Leeds Health sub-group, which includes local GPs, officers and culture representatives as to what was required in the area, and specifically for the local centre. It was also reported that the new Windmill Health Centre in Swarcliffe would also assist in delivering Healthcare into the area

·  Members were informed that play spaces would be provided but that further discussions would take place with Parks and Countryside and the Consultative Forum to determine the details

In offering comments Members stated the following:

·  A number of Members expressed concern about the quantum of development and requested if the proposed 875 dwellings could be the maximum

·  More reassurance was required around green space provision, the rural character needs to be maintained

·  It was important that the house types must be of the highest quality in design

·  Further re-assurance around future Healthcare provision was required

·  An exemplar development was required, zero carbon (Do residents require a car)

It was moved and seconded that the application be approved subject to the number of dwellings being a maximum of 875.

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was passed.

RESOLVED –

(i)  That the application be deferred and delegatedto the Chief Planning Officer for approval, subject to removal of the current holding direction by National Highways, the conditions specified in the submitted report, the number of dwellings being a maximum of 875 (and any amendments or additional conditions that the Chief Planning Officer may consider appropriate) and the completion of a Section 106 Agreement to cover the following:

·  East Leeds Orbital Route (ELOR) contribution of £19,717,413, via a roof tax to be paid on new dwelling completions at six monthly intervals.

·  Affordable Housing – 15% provision on site (with a 60% social rent and 40% intermediate split).

·  Primary education contribution - £12,320 per dwelling with two or more bedrooms (excluding flats with less than three bedrooms) x 0.25 (being the average child place generated by a family unit) x 0.97 (being a locational factor), to contribute towards the provision of a 2FE primary school in the Southern Quadrant of the East Leeds Extension.

·  Barwick Road cycle improvements contribution - £256,300.

·  Signal improvements at the Eastwood Lane/Barwick Road/Church Lane junction - £100,000.

·  Off-site highway mitigation works at the ‘dumbbells’ and main roundabout of J46 of the M1, if these are not secured by condition (as listed in the conditions).

·  Bus service improvement contribution - £750,000, to be spent on increasing the frequency of bus services, including amendments to the route(s) to access the spine road, or such other public transport enhancements as may be agreed.

·  Bus stops contribution - £70,500, to be spent on 3 bus stops with shelters and real time information and 3 bus stops with poles.

·  Residential Travel Plan Fund - £511.50 per dwelling, to be spent on Travel Plan measures and/or other sustainable travel measures.

·  Travel Plan monitoring fee - £8,116, to be spent on the monitoring of the Travel Plan.

·  Footway and cycleway provision – to secure a scheme of footway and cycleway links to the areas around the site.

·  On-site Greenspaces – to be provided commensurate with dwellings in each phase of development, including provisions for future management. Greenspace also includes a scheme of play facilities.

·  Spine Road – Need to enter into a Highways Agreement with the Council to construct and dedicate the spine road, with provisions for phasing.

·  Commitment to Local Centre implementation plan

·  Employment and training initiatives.

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