Agenda item

Land Adjacent to Yarborough Leisure Centre, Riseholme Road, Lincoln

Minutes:

(Councillors Strengiel, Storer and Briggs left the room for the remainder of the meeting having declared a personal and pecuniary interest in the matter to be determined. They took no part in the discussion or vote on the planning application)

 

The Planning Team Leader:

 

  1. described the application for development on land in front of Yarborough Leisure Centre, which proposed the erection of four 2/3 storey buildings fronting Riseholme Road to form townhouses with five 3/4 storey buildings positioned behind

 

  1. advised that a previous application was refused by Planning Committee on 26 February 2020 due to height and massing of the proposed buildings

 

  1. advised that this application was granted planning permission by Committee on 1 December 2021, subject to conditions as detailed within the officer’s report included in tonight’s agenda papers

 

  1. reported that the development would consist of 293 bedrooms of accommodation for students with ancillary on site reception, laundry facilities and warden accommodation

 

  1. added that a new vehicular access would be formed to Riseholme Road and 17 parking spaces provided within the site for accessible unloading and staff parking only

 

  1. highlighted that the land in question was allocated as a site for residential development in the adopted Local Plan, currently owned by the City of Lincoln Council with an agreement to sell to the applicants

 

  1. described the location of the development site currently grassland on the west side of Riseholme Road, with Lincoln Castle Academy and Yarborough Leisure Centre situated to the north and west, residential dwellings fronting Riseholme Road and Yarborough Crescent to the south, the old caretaker’s bungalow in private ownership to the north, and a strong line of trees which formed the boundary with Riseholme Road to the east

 

  1. provided details of the policies pertaining to the application, as follows:

 

  • Policy LP1: A Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development
  • Policy LP2: The Spatial Strategy and Settlement Hierarchy
  • Policy LP9: Health and Wellbeing
  • Policy LP10: Meeting Accommodation Needs
  • Policy LP12: Infrastructure to Support Growth
  • Policy LP13: Accessibility and Transport
  • Policy LP14: Managing Water Resources and Flood Risk
  • Policy LP16: Development on Land affected by Contamination
  • Policy LP26: Design and Amenity
  • Policy LP29: Protecting Lincoln's Setting and Character
  • Policy LP32: Lincoln's Universities and Colleges
  • National Planning Policy Framework      

 

  1. advised Planning Committee of the main issues considered as part of the application to assess the proposal with regards to:

 

  • Principle of Use
  • Visual Amenity
  • Impact on Residential amenity
  • Traffic and Pedestrian Safety
  • Drainage/SUDs
  • Trees and Landscaping
  • Archaeology
  • Contaminated Land

 

  1. outlined the responses made to the consultation exercise

 

  1. concluded that:

 

  • The previous refusal reason relating to height and massing of the buildings had been overcome by the revised application.
  • The development would relate well to the site and surroundings, particularly in relation to siting, height, scale, massing, and design.
  • The proposal allowed Bishop Grosseteste University to continue to develop and ensured that there was little impact on their neighbours and the wider City.
  • Technical matters relating to highways, contamination, archaeology, and drainage were to the satisfaction of the relevant consultees and could be further controlled as necessary by conditions.
  • The proposals would therefore be in accordance with the requirements of CLLP Policies and the NPPF.

 

  1. emphasised again that this planning application was already approved by Planning Committee on 1 December 2021, subject to conditions which included the provision of increased public transport services (bus service), at the responsibility of the developer, from Mondays-Saturdays, continuing for 3 years post final completion of the development, prior to occupation of the student accommodation

 

  1. highlighted that this condition was proposed by Lincolnshire County Council as Highways Authority at the time to increase an existing bus service operating on a Friday/Saturday evening 

 

  1. advised that the above condition had been found to be unworkable as the previous bus service on Fri /Sat evenings no longer existed, the bus operator would have to buy new buses, the cost for which was disproportionate to the development proposals and not justifiable or financially viable for the bus company in the current economic climate

 

  1. requested authorisation for removal of the above condition from the previously granted planning permission in order that the development could proceed moving forward.

 

The Committee considered the content of the report in further detail.

 

Councillor Hewson recognised the problems highlighted with the increased public transport condition imposed on the original grant of planning permission for this site and why it could not be met. He was happy for the development to go ahead without this additional condition.

 

Councillor Bean referred to existing problems with sustained bus services in the current economic climate and the fact that the condition was open to fail as the bus service was required to operate for three years

 

Councillor Watt advised that the condition had been considered as important at the time planning permission was granted and should be part of the development. He asked whether the planning application could be refused on the basis that the condition could not be met.

 

The Chair advised of the remit of Planning Committee this evening to approve or refuse the planning application before us this evening without the additional transport condition.

 

RESOLVED that planning permission be granted as previously granted on 1 December 2021, however with the condition imposed regarding the provision of increased public transport services (bus service) at the responsibility of the developer removed. Also subject to the signing of an S106 agreement securing a contribution to additional NHS services in the vicinity and subject to the conditions as set out below.

 

·         Development to commence within three years

·         Hedge and tree protection to be in place at all times during construction

·         Materials

·         Highway conditions

·         Archaeology

·         Remediation shall be implemented in accordance with submitted remediation strategy

·         Submission of construction management plan

·         Retention of parking spaces at all times

·         Development to proceed in accordance with submitted Travel Plan

·         Landscaping to be in implemented in accordance with the submitted landscaping plan

·         Enhanced landscaping condition to pursue biodiversity

Supporting documents: