Agenda and minutes
PDF 129 KBVenue: City Hall, 115 Charles Street, Leicester, LE1 1FZ
| No. | Item |
|---|---|
|
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE |
|
|
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed. Minutes: None. |
|
|
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Minutes of the meeting held on 14th September 2022 are attached and the Panel is asked to confirm them as a correct record. Minutes: The Panel agreed the notes. |
|
|
CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS The Director of Planning, Development and Transportation submits a report on planning applications received for consideration by the Panel. Minutes: News
JW gave a brief introduction at the beginning of the meeting regarding some changes to the membership of the panel. He explained that some members have left the panel in recent times, while the position of student members had been looked at again. Two new student places on the panel are now in place, with one student each from the architectural programmes at DMU and Loughborough University. Artem Murakhovski, a final year student from Loughborough University was welcomed, alongside Cagri Sanliturk, who is one of the senior lecturers on the course and one with experience in heritage/design projects. A) 55 Welford Road, James House Planning Application 20221990
Demolition of existing office building (Class E). Construction of new four, seven, ten and fifteen storey building for student accommodation (351 bedspaces)(Sui Generis) and 106 residential apartments (46 x 1 bed, 60 x 2 bed) (Class C3) with ground floor commercial, business and service unit (Class E); Car and cycle parking, landscaping and new pedestrian infrastructure.
The panel generally considered that the existing modernist building was of limited aesthetic merit, and that the proposed development would represent an improvement in this area. They expressed some concern with the proposed building heights and this was considered to be the most challenging aspect. The panel looked at the impact the increased height would have on the spire of the Church of the Holy Trinity on Regent Road, but considered the views were potentially acceptable. Intervening development and the topography were considered to result in limited setting impacts for heritage assets further to the north. The members were pleased to see the public realm improvement to the ground floor, including some active frontages, and considered the lower-level impact on the edge of the New Walk Conservation Area to be positive.
B) 36 – 42 Friday Street Planning Application 20221840
Demolition of existing buildings and structures. Construction of two x five storey residential buildings with a central single storey podium, providing 88 flats (1 x Studio, 40 x 1 bed and 47 x 2 bed)(Class C3); an ancillary residents clubhouse, hot desk space and residents only gym, facility management office, car parking and communal amenity space.
The panel felt the proposed development would be an improvement over the existing building on site, which is a light industrial building complex of limited historic or architectural interest. It was felt that the composition of the development was somewhat peculiar, with two distinctive parts to it. The members were less concerned with the Friday Street front, which they felt related well to the nearby locally listed building at 62 Friday Street. However, they agreed that the canal facing elevation was not the correct response to the existing context of the area. Members felt that this elevation was overly domestic in character and did not reflect the industrial character in adjacent buildings. The panel felt this elevation was too busy, with too many different design elements competing with one another. They questioned whether the courtyard and ... view the full minutes text for item 212. |