Planning - Part II
The Transformation of the City Centre
Last year we expressed concern over the comprehensive nature of the proposed Hammerson and Town Centre Securities Eastgate Quarter retail and leisure development. In extensive discussions with the developers this year, some changes have been made but we are still worried about the paucity of greenspace to relax in and the extent of demolition. We also wonder whether the building of this scheme would preclude the construction of the Trinity Quarter Shopping Centre, so leaving a poor quality site at the heart of the present shopping centre?
Cranes continue to be a striking feature of the city centre skyline. Development in the ‘Rim’, the zone immediately outside the city centre, has continued apace, with major residential schemes along Whitehall Road, East Street and at Clarence Dock. Our concern is about the vitality of these areas – an early evening walk to the Royal Armouries showed us a place devoid of any life and none of the amenities promised in the planning applications. We still question the ‘real’ market for the hundreds of small flats being built (people to live in them rather than investors) and it has been refreshing this year to see some developers proposing schemes with larger flats, family housing and sustainable local amenities.
Student Housing
A key issue for the year has been the impact of large student housing developments, both physically, as a result of the number of tall blocks now being built, and socially on specific local communities. Burley Road has been transformed but local people are saying enough is enough. And with hundreds of flats opening in Little London and along Meanwood Road it is possible that more discriminating students will move out of poorer quality houses in Headingley. It is not clear whether these student developments will help support local amenities and demand improvements in local services, so benefiting other residents, or become self-contained units. This student housing activity is mirrored by changes on the university campuses, where extensive new building is planned. Our hope is that the two universities can work together to create an educational quarter of which the City can be proud.
Making a Difference
This has been an extremely busy and productive year for the Planning Committee. We sympathise with the City Council’s planners; we too have found it difficult to keep an eye on all significant developments in the city. However, we are encouraged by the way key developers seek our views and, in some cases, we can see positive improvements in the schemes now emerging. We are now seeing a higher proportion of more interesting designs which are more carefully integrated with their surroundings. However, these have yet to be built and past experience warns that they may be ‘value-engineered’ (or cheapened) during the post-planning approval detailed design. Where possible, we will continue to monitor this issue but, regrettably, the Development Department has no established mechanisms for notifying us of post-approval changes.
The Next Year
In the coming year the Planning Committee is to further increase its effectiveness by focusing on a number of key issues on which we feel we have the potential to make a difference:
- Community Engagement in Planning;
- City Centre Greenspace, Public Realm & Highways;
- Greater Vitality on the Leeds Waterfront;
- Development of Historic Areas & Buildings (notably Kirkgate); and
- Cultural Facilities in Leeds.
Subgroups of the Planning Committee will tackle these topics and we would welcome the involvement of individual and corporate members so that we can better represent the views of the Leeds community.
Mike Piet
Chairman, Planning Committee