Agenda and minutes

M. Davies (RICS), S. Bowyer (LCS), D. Fountain (LSA), Cllr S. Barton, S. Bird (DAC), N. Finn (LAHS), C. Sanliturk (LU).

None.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 15^th November 2023 are attached and the Panel is asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Panel agreed the notes.

The Director of Planning, Development and Transportation submits a report on planning applications received for consideration by the Panel.

A)   Burleys Way, Corah Factory Site
Planning Application 20220709

The Panel had fundamental concerns about the proposed development, principally the demolition of the majority of the locally listed buildings on the site, the loss of the majority of the existing Corah Green, the impact of the proposed new tower block on the Grade I Listed St Margaret's Church and the impact of the proposed bridge on the Grade II* Registered Park.

The Panel recognised the important social history of the site to the city of Leicester and noted the group value of the remaining buildings. Members feel this was a once in a generation opportunity to enhance the area and were disappointed that limited amendments had not been made following the initial consultation response to the application. The Panel argued that the important historic significance of the site was not recognised in the submitted material and the significant harm caused by the loss of the majority of buildings on site was underplayed.

Members acknowledged that the indicative tower design had been amended; however. they considered that it did not go far enough to alleviate concerns about the impact on the medieval tower of St Margaret’s Church, a Grade I Listed Building. In particular they had concerns about views along Sanvey Gate, where the scale of the new residential tower block would compete visually with the heritage asset and would disrupt the relationship between the church and its setting. They also noted concerns about the fact this element of the application was outline only, stating that the highly graded nature of the church warranted a full application to understand the precise form and appearance it would take.

Although members voiced some discomfort at the idea of facadism in respect the former headquarters building, they acknowledged it has been subject to significant damage and its condition was challenging. They were disappointed to see more emphasis had not been placed on the retained arch as a destination within the site, feeling it was hidden away behind the somewhat crowded new blocks. They also expressed some concerns about the new internal floor levels cutting across the historic arrangement. Finally, members questioned the location of the new multi-storey car park immediately adjacent to the retained facade, which is arguably the most historically sensitive part of the site.

Members had less concerns about the northern half of the site, feeling it was more capable of change. However, they noted it was impossible to fully appreciate the impact on Abbey Park, a grade II* Registered Park and Garden, due to the outline nature of the application. While they could understand the desire of the applicant for a new footbridge into Abbey Park, they questioned its need given the proximity of the existing bridge nearby. They also raised concerns about how many trees would be lost to achieve this element of the scheme and what the effect of this loss of mature trees and vegetative screening would have on the significance of the park and the resulting impact  ...  view the full minutes text for item 256.