Agenda item

To receive the report of the Chief Planning Officer on a  Reserved Matters Application for residential development of 407 dwellings within the Northern Quadrant to approve details in relation to access (save for those details approved by the Outline permission), layout, scale, appearance and landscaping (Condition 1) pursuant to Outline Planning permission 12/02571/OT; on land at Phase A of the Northern Quadrant, East Leeds Extension, Leeds, LS14.

The Chief Planning Officer’s report presented a Reserved Matters application for a residential development of 407 dwellings within the Northern Quadrant to approve details in relation to access (save those details approved by the outline permission), layout, scale, appearance and landscaping (Condition 1) pursuant to outline planning permission 12/02517/OT on land at phase A of the Northern Quadrant, East Leeds Extension, Leeds, LS14.

Members were provided with a presentation.

The planning officer informed the Panel of the following points:

·  This application had first been presented to Panel at the meeting held on 16^th November 2023, seeking Members views on the proposals for this phase of development in the Northern Quadrant. At the previous meeting Members had provided comments on design matters, specifically with regard to the proposed apartments blocks to the entrance of the site. This report was to update the Members on negotiations which had taken place.

·  The Panel was shown elevations and a CGI of the newly proposed apartment blocks which had sought to take into consideration the comments made by Members, with additional advice from design officers. It was now proposed that the apartment blocks would be of only brick and render with larger windows with Juliet balconies to the front and rear of the buildings, together with projecting bays and entrances. There would also be brick plinths to the base of the apartments using engineering bricks and the gable and rear elevations would utilise areas of brick patterning of Flemish bonding (comprising projecting headers and recessed stretchers), which would give more texture to the buildings.

·  Members had previously raised concerns in relation to the siting of the apartment blocks in relation to the site entrance and the East Leeds Orbital Route (ELOR). It was now proposed that the first block would be 40m away from the give way line on the spine road. Officers also described the distances between the other blocks, as set out in the report.  Officers were of the view that this was an acceptable approach, and it was not unusual to place larger buildings at the entrance to a development, and this design had been used as a feature at other developments, including on the reserved matters approvals on the Morwick Green (Middle Quadrant) development.

·  There had been a concern raised in relation to the width of the Cycle/ Footways that the proposed 3m would not be wide enough. However, Highways Officers had confirmed that it was acceptable, complied with the adopted Transport SPD and was comparable to what had been secured on other developments.

The agent for Persimmon attended the meeting and provided the Panel with the following information:

• They welcomed the positive comments received from the Panel at the meeting in November. The focus on the apartments had been taken on board and the applicant had attended a workshop session with officers of the Council. They had worked through the details to refine the materials with render only on the central projections and brick patterning and plinths to raise the design quality. The larger windows would allow more natural light to be let in.

·  It was felt that this had reduced the dominance of the apartments overall and led to a greater feeling of openness. It had always been intended to have the apartments as a gateway feature of the development site and so it was not the intention to ‘hide’ the buildings in any way.

• At both sides of the access from A58 there would be a generous area of landscaping as part of the gateway feature.
• The applicant owned the site in full and was ready to start work as soon as possible. There was a generous S106 funding offer and CIL payment.

In response to questions from Members the following was noted:

• The proposal of a living wall or green roof had not previously been considered but could be looked at. However, they would have to bear in mind which walls would receive appropriate light for the plants to thrive, and whether this would reduce light into rooms. It could also only be considered if it did not adversely impact the integrity of the building.
• Flemish bond brickwork with projecting headers had been used before and it was the view that the patterning and siting was sufficient to not pose a security risk of someone climbing up them.

Members had no further comments in relation to questions 1 and 2 posed within the report at Paragraph 17. Cllr Stephenson, whilst acknowledging that other Panel Members did not necessarily continue to share his concerns, was still of the view that the proposed apartment blocks were sited in the wrong place and too high for this location on the development.  However, Members overall raised no objection to the siting of the apartment blocks and their design. As such Members were content that the determination of the planning application be delegated to officers subject to no new significant planning issues being raised during the consideration of the application.

RESOLVED – To note the report and that officers can progress towards the determination of the application subject to no new significant planning issues being raised during its consideration. In such circumstances the application would be reported back to Panel for final determination.