Roundhay Ward Neighbourhood Design Statement FOREWORD
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Roundhay Ward Neighbourhood Design Statement FOREWORD A group of determined residents in Roundhay Ward decided in April 2005 that the essential character of the area was being undermined by a series of planning applications to knock down large houses and build apartments. These apartments were often built without any sense of the character of the area. Another cause for concern was the designation of large domestic gardens as brown field sites suitable for building. The welcome recent reversal of this national policy clearly demonstrates how fickle such policy can be. It came only just in time as so much land had been lost already to infill and intensification which led to overdevelopment. Residents also began to recognise that opposing single planning applications, whilst successful in some cases, did not address long term concerns. They understand that what was required was a more strategic approach in determining what needed to be built and where in the Ward. It was further decided that the whole of the Ward should be covered by the NDS as each part of the area has distinctive characteristics worth preserving. Both the City Council, via its North East (Inner) Area Committee, and officers from the Planning Department were very supportive of this approach. Thankfully, they shared our vision that a completed ward-wide design statement could act as a template for all the other wards in the city and thus encourage greater community involvement in the planning process. It was clear to all Forum members that producing a ward-wide NDS was not an easy option, but local residents fired our determination to make a difference as far as planning matters are concerned in the Ward. It must be stressed that the Forum is not, and never has been, a NIMBY organization. We know that change is inevitable, and in many cases desirable, but it needs to be managed so that we gain developments of quality and we do not lose buildings and features of value. Michael S Fox DL Chairman - Roundhay Planning Forum October 2010 Leeds City Council fully supports this Neighbourhood Design Statement and congratulates Roundhay Planning Forum in delivering the first ward-wide Neighbourhood Design Statement in the City. Considerable effort and thought has gone into its preparation. The NDS represents the values residents ascribe to living in the Roundhay Ward. It represents the community’s aspirations to retain and develop these intrinsic qualities and characteristics which are reflected in the built and environmental qualities of Roundhay. These have evolved as part of the historic development in Roundhay which has resulted in a unique and distinctive residential area in the Leeds District. Following consultation, this document will be adopted by the City Council as a Supplementary Planning Document and as such will be a material consideration in the determining of planning applications in the Roundhay ward. It will form part of the statutory development plan for Leeds, the Local Development Framework. Encouragement will be given to the community to keep the document alive through further studies, research and guidelines to maintain and improve the area qualities. This should include monitoring the effectiveness of the policies and aspirations in the NDS. It is hoped that by such an approach the document can be reviewed on a regular basis to keep it up to date and pertinent to the present moment. Throughout the NDS there are notes describing the main issues and development concerns raised during the consultation process with residents. As a guide to understanding just what effect these may have in the future of the area, the following definitions will be used within the document: Guidelines are informed directly by LCC policy and provide a local context to existing planning policies. The guidelines will be used by the City Council in determining planning applications in the area. Aspirations (recommendations for action and management) are requests and suggestions that are in line with residents' and the wider community's wishes. They cannot be given the status of guidance, but should be taken into account, where appropriate, by developers. Aspirations will also assist in justifying any future bids for funding. 2 INTRODUCTION The appearance and the ambience poor quality of design of new workshops and public events such of Roundhay Ward comes from its housing, the development of as a launch meeting, and progressive development from a apartment blocks in place of family exhibitions of workshops and predominantly rural into an urban houses and of unsightly extensions. results of work in progress. area over the late nineteenth and Neighbourhood Design Statements most of the twentieth century. Its give them an opportunity to voice The history of the area follows as it particular character is well summed their preferences for the enables us to understand what led up by the architect Derek Linstrum environment in which they wish to to the present character of the built who wrote in West Yorkshire - live. Roundhay Planning Forum's and natural environments. Architects and Architecture, objective was to prepare an NDS "Roundhay demonstrates the for Roundhay Ward in consultation There are four underlying themes to our NDS - land use, built form, influence time and posterity play in with its residents. shaping a suburb until, in its landscape and movement. Their maturity it becomes 'a cherished What is a Neighbourhood main characteristics are described local scene' with its own distinctive and illustrated by four maps. Design Statement (NDS)? character; the affection in which An NDS is an appraisal of the Next the two conservation areas in such communities of houses and the ward are described. gardens are held can be measured existing character of an area that makes it unique: in the countless instances of For an area as large as Roundhay residents who have formed • It makes suggestions for Ward, it is clear that the character themselves into groups to defend improving and enhancing that of the area is not homogeneous. what they regard as their rights and character. For this reason we have divided it their heritage." (see page 70) For • It represents the views of the into character areas. the location of the wards and its local community. streets see the map on page 5 and • It will help to guide Character areas are distinct parts the aerial photograph on page 6 development, large and small, of Roundhay Ward having their where the underlying topography of so that existing character can own: the moors and valleys of North be protected. • Individuality Leeds, once visible as farmland are • It will inform developers and • Separately definable character now much obscured by buildings planners of the importance local • Specific possibilities for and trees. people attach to their area. improvement • It should ensure that any The designation of the gardens of change contributes to the Character combines: houses as brown-field sites in the sustainability of the area, its first decade of the twenty first • Location heritage, its quality of design, century (repealed in 2010) i.e. its landscape, its accessibility, • Geography making them equivalent to derelict its facilities and its cohesion. • History in common mineral extraction sites or industrial • Houses and gardens wasteland, made them susceptible, • Following consultation it will be adopted officially and used by • Landscapes and open spaces if large enough, to subdivision and • Footpaths and roads development, and the demands of the City Council as a • A community with social central government that building on Supplementary Planning cohesion such land should be dense to the Document. extent of being out of scale with An NDS does not preclude modern We have designated ten character surrounding properties, risked the design, see, for example, the areas ranging in size from the destruction of the very quality of recent addition of an Education largest, 'Park Villas and Lidgett Roundhay that made residents Centre to Roundhay Park's Park', to the smallest residential want to live there. Through Mansion. area, 'Wetherby Road and Park permitted development rights, the Avenue', the 'enclave' of Park built environment is being degraded The contents of this NDS Avenue and West Avenue. There by the use of the cheapest are two further character areas for First we describe the process of inappropriate materials for roofing, the shopping centres of Oakwood development of this NDS. As it cladding, windows and doors on and Street Lane. See maps on must reflect the opinions and housing and the conversion of front pages 6 and 21. gardens to hard paving and their expectations of the residents of boundaries from soft green to hard Roundhay Ward, the development The results of our consultations brash walls and over-decorative, of an NDS depends on a close with residents (summarised in an and often gaudy, iron work. interaction with residents through, appendix) have enabled us to write for example, a ward-wide appraisals of these twelve Residents were concerned by the questionnaire, neighbourhood character areas. The appraisals 3 INTRODUCTION CONTENTS describe the buildings, structures 1. Foreword 2 and heritage, the open spaces and 2. Introduction 3 & 4 landscape, and the access and 3. Street Map of Roundhay Ward 5 movement. They identify the listed and notable buildings and conclude 4. Aerial Photograph of Roundhay Ward 6 with recommendations for 5. The Process 7 & 8 enhancement of each area, the policy context of which is set out in 6. History of the Neighbourhood 8 - 10 an appendix. Historical Maps 11 - 12 The context of the Design 7. Themes 13 - 19 Statement in relation to the Leeds Theme 1: Land Use - Map 16 Unitary Development Plan (UDP, 2006) is established next with Theme 2: Built Form - Map 17 recommendations for future policies Theme 3: Landscape - Map 18 and proposals related to buildings Theme 4: Movement - Map 19 and structures, green spaces, trees and shopping centres.