Agenda item

Erection of 8no. terrace houses including landscaping, parking and access [Holgate Ward] [Site Visit]

Members considered an application for approval of reserved matters for the erection of 8 terrace houses including landscaping, layout, scale and appearance.

Officers advised that condition 5 should be amended to add a reference to the requirement to enclose areas between the sides of houses 4 and 8 and the pavement. They also reported that two further objections had been received since the publication of the report.

Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing had submitted comments by e-mail which had been circulated to Members and Officers prior to the meeting and copies were also tabled at the meeting. She referred to the destruction of a landmark building with historical importance in relation to education in the city and to the history of Leeman road. She reported that the old school building had been listed to appear on the local list of buildings of local significance or historic interest and asked that before any further decisions were made on the future of the site, that officers investigate the claim that the stained glass window may be the work of George Walton, a contemporary of Charles Rene Mackintosh and the link with the church in relation to its designer.

Comments had also been received from Green Party Member, Andy Chase, a local resident who stated that while he appreciated that permission had been granted for demolition of the building, he asked the developers to consider sensitive and imaginative conversion of the building which was in good condition. He remarked that bats had been observed in the vicinity of the site and requested that bat roosts should be considered in the proposed buildings.

Representations were also received from a York resident in objection to the application. He suggested that more consideration should have been given to the possible conversion of the building in line with the new national policy which had come into force. He advised that a development based on conversion would satisfy the planning criteria and would be much less expensive whereas demolition and a new build would be wasteful in respect of building materials and land footprint.

A letter from the Chief Executive of York Conservation Trust was circulated to Members in support of the above representation asking for the application to be adjourned in order to allow the Trust time to put together an additional proposal to purchase the building and convert it sympathetically.

Members expressed their pleasure that the developers had taken on board their comments made at the time of the last application regarding the need for more housing suitable for families and also older people. They agreed that the developers had produced a good scheme on what was a difficult site.

Members discussed the following issues

·        Need for more housing for families and older people

·        the correspondence and request from the York Conservation Trust

·        inclusion of bat roosts in new building

·        significance of window – concern raised over destroying what could be a precious stained glass window

Members agreed that the window could be removed in its entirety and preserved if it was of significance and asked that an informative be added to this effect.

RESOLVED:

That the application be approved subject to the conditions listed in the report and amended condition and additional informatives listed below ¹

Amended Condition 5

Details of all means of enclosure to the site boundaries and to each dwelling, which shall include a low level boundary wall around the soft landscaping to the east side of houses 4 and 8, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority before the development commences and shall be provided before the development is occupied.

Reason:  In the interests of the visual amenities of the area.

Additional Informatives.

PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD

It is asked that prior to demolition an annotated photographic record of the interior and exterior of the building be submitted to the Local Planning Authority.

STAINED GLASS WINDOW IN EAST ELEVATION

It is requested that the window is removed and retained as it may be of some value and historic interest.  It would be appreciated if local reclamation businesses could be contacted asking whether they wish to acquire the window prior to demolition.

REASON:                 

The proposal, subject to the conditions listed in the report and the amended condition and additional informatives above, would not cause undue harm to interests of acknowledged importance, with particular reference to the type of dwellings proposed, the appearance of the area, residential amenity, highway safety and flood risk. As such the proposal complies with Policies GP1, GP4, GP15, H3, H4 and NE7 of the City of York Development Control Local Plan.