Report of the Chief Planning Officer CITY PLANS PANEL Date
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Originator Stuart Daniel Tel: 0113 353551 Report of the Chief Planning Officer CITY PLANS PANEL Date: 25 February 2021 Subject: 19/05272/FU- Full application for 152 dwellings Horsforth Campus Calverley Lane Horsforth Applicants: Stonewater Leeds City College Galliford Try Partners Electoral Wards Affected: Specific Implications For: Horsforth Equality and Diversity Community Cohesion Yes Ward Members consulted Narrowing the Gap RECOMMENDATION: DEFER and DELEGATE approval to the Chief Planning officer - subject first to referral of the application to the Secretary of State as a Departure from the Development Plan and subject to the Secretary of State not wishing to call in the application for his own determination – and subject to the conditions specified (and any others which he might consider appropriate) and the completion of a legal agreement within 3 months from the date of resolution, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Chief Planning Officer, to include the following obligations: 100% Affordable Housing provision Green Space Commuted Sum/management plan Off-site highway improvement works contribution Travel plan measures including Metrocards and real-time bus displays In the circumstances where the S106 agreement has not been completed within 3 months the final determination of the application shall be delegated to the Chief Planning Officer Conditions 1. Commencement within 3 years 2. Development to accord with the approved plans 3. Materials samples required 4. Scheme for pedestrian link to Newlaithes school to be implemented prior to first occupation 5. Vehicular areas to be laid out hard surfaced and drained. 6. Travel plan to be implemented 7. Cycle and motorcycle parking and electric vehicle charging points to be provided prior to first occupation. Notwithstanding the details on the approved plan, the scheme shall provide at least one charging point for each dwelling and one charging point per 10 visitor spaces. 8. Pedestrian/cycle routes to be carried out prior to first occupation and thereafter maintained in accordance with a scheme to be agreed. 9. Condition survey of Calverley Lane and remediation scheme required. 10. Parking for the flats shall be unallocated 11. Surface water drainage works scheme to be approved and implemented 12. Foul drainage scheme to be approved and implemented 13. Details of bat roosting and bird nesting features (for species such as House Sparrow, Starling, Swift, Swallow and House Martin) to be approved and implemented 14. No removal of hedgerows, trees or shrubs shall take place between 1st March and 31st August inclusive, unless a competent ecologist has undertaken a careful, detailed check of vegetation for active birds’ nests immediately before (within 24 hours) the works commence and provided written confirmation that no birds will be harmed and/or that there are appropriate measures in place to protect nesting bird interest on site. Any such written confirmation should be submitted to the LPA within 3 days of works being carried out. 15. No works shall commence unless the LPA has been provided with either: a copy of the Great Crested Newt Mitigation Method Statement and License issued by Natural England pursuant to Regulation 53 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 authorising the specified activity to go ahead; or a statement in writing from Natural England to the effect that it does not consider that the specified activity will require a license. 16. Landscaping conditions to provide for protection of existing trees, submission and implementation of a landscaping scheme and landscaping management 17. Contamination conditions to provide for investigation, remediation and validation 18. Construction management plan required, including hours of construction and deliveries and noise from plant and equipment. 19. Scheme of noise insulation and ventilation to be submitted and approved 20. Details of pumping station required. 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This item was reported to Plans Panel on the 1st October 2020. A copy of the full Officer Report relating to the item is included below and this addition is provided by way of an update report for Members’ information. 1.2 The item was deferred at Plans Panel by Members for the following reason: “That the development of this site be accepted in principle but further discussions on design are to take place” 1.3 More specifically, members were of the view that the house type design was poor and that the overall layout design needed improvement given its Green Belt setting. 2.0 UPDATE 2.1 Since Plans Panel, officers have undertaken a number of meetings with the architect which also included a site meeting between the Councils Design Officer and the architect. The developer has taken on board the comments from members and has amended the layout of the proposed development as well as the design of the dwellings which has included removing certain house types as well as altering the window proportions of the remaining house types. Looking at the amendments in turn: 2.2 Layout - The layout has been re-designed to enhance the three character areas which are considered to be common to the Horsforth locality; Victorian, Suburban and Green Edge. Character Area One (Victorian) – This is located within the northern portion of the site and includes the site entrance and apartment block and is designed to a higher density, terrace typology using 2.5 storey houses to form the streetscape. Two 2.5 storey blocks containing a total of 24 flats are located close to the site entrance and have been re-designed in order to create a welcoming entrance to the development. Housing density in this area is c. 48 dwellings /Ha. This area is more rectilinear in form, and offers views through the site whilst upping the overall density of the scheme. Visually, the predominant material in this area is a buff Yorkshire artstone with dressed stone detailing – to tie in with the cemetery gatehouse and create a character area inspired by Horsforth’s Victorian streetscapes. Character Area Two (Suburban) – This is the central portion of the site South of the central area of greenspace, the development would have a more suburban feel with short- terrace, detached and semi-detached 2-storey houses around pockets of Green Space. Each street is designed to have its own identifiable form and aspect to avoid repetition and monotony in the development. Larger detached and side- aspect houses are located on corner plots where possible in order to create a dual aspect so as to avoid blank gables. Character Area Three (Green Edge) – This area has not been altered significantly as it was felt that this area generally worked well. Larger family-sized houses are concentrated to the southern end of the site facing the Ecological Management Area. Street elevations are designed to provide views through to the Ecological Management Area. Straight runs are now broken up by gable fronted houses to create interest within the street scene. 2.3 A number of other changes and improvements have been made to the layout, these include: • The extent of highway has been reduced, increasing the areas of both public and private green space. • The route through the site has been altered and improved by providing a number of green spaces along both formal and informal access routes. • Additional informal pedestrian/cycle way route along the eastern boundary which increases the opportunities for residents to navigate the development away from traffic, making movement safer, more pleasant and making the most of the existing mature tree lines. • Roadway ‘loop’ changed to a spine road that snakes through the site which alters the feel of the development moving away from a ‘standard’ development • Shared-surface courts stem from the spine road creating a more aesthetically pleasing layout • Nearly all of these courts now link through to the two informal pedestrian/ cycle ways along the east and west boundaries. • More houses overlooking Public Open Spaces, giving a better sense of place and improving natural surveillance. • Green spaces are enhanced by more enhanced path connections across the site • Play areas and trim-trial introduced to Public Open Spaces • All 3 storey homes with integral garages have been removed to reduce frontage parking and to create an improved layout. 2.4 Other changes to the layout have been made which generally relate locations of house types. Overall the houses have been redistributed to maximize frontages and allow for more side parking. • Longer terraces replaced with semi-detached and short three-house groupings which allows for a more cohesive layout. • Parking is mainly to the sides and where frontage parking is shown, this has been broken up with areas of landscaping • Corner-aspect and side-access houses have been introduced more widely across the development, maximising frontages onto public space and reducing long runs of rear garden fencing onto the public domain. • Houses now front onto the informal path running down the eastern boundary (facing onto the cemetery) with car access via the rear: this allows for a footpath to the front of these dwellings making it an active green route through the site that is well-overlooked by houses and links green spaces. This is inspired by similar car-less streets found in Victorian Horsforth. • Low front boundary walls to stone houses facing this path further reinforces the Victorian Horsforth ‘feel’. 2.5 House Type Design - Turning to the designs of the dwellings, all house types have been amended, taking into account Members’ comments, Generally taller better- proportioned windows been introduced to frontages across the scheme. This ties the houses together visually whilst increasing levels of natural daylight admitted to habitable rooms within. In-roof photovoltaic (PV) roof panels have been shown to all house types. The improvements made to the following house types are: • House Type A - Front windows to habitable rooms made taller, contrasting dark red brick to window and door heads and cills.