Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed those present to the meeting and led on introductions.

There were no apologies of absence.

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed on the Agenda.

Members will be aware of the Code of Practice for Member involvement in Development Control decisions. They are also asked to declare any interest they might have in any matter on the committee agenda and/or contact with applicants, agents or third parties. The Chair, acting on advice from the Monitoring Officer, will then determine whether the interest disclosed is such to require the Member to withdraw from the committee during consideration of the relevant officer report.

Members who are not on the committee but who are attending to make representations in accordance with the Code of Practice are also required to declare any interest.  The Chair, acting on advice from the Monitoring Officer, will determine whether the interest disclosed is such that the Member is not able to make representations.  Members requiring guidance should contact the Monitoring Officer or the Committee's legal adviser prior to the committee meeting.

Members were asked to declare any interests they had in the business on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

Members are asked to confirm that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning and Development Control Committee held on 12 August 2026 are a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Planning and Development Control Committee held 12 August 2026 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Committee is asked to consider the recommendations of the Director, Planning, Development and Transportation contained in the attached reports, within the categories identified in the index appended with the reports.

Ward: Thurncourt 

Proposal: Variation of Conditions 2 of planning permission 20021239 to allow permanent opening hours of the clubhouse from 0800 to 2300 Mondays to Saturdays, 0800-2230 Sundays; variation of condition 4 to allow the use of clubhouse for uses not connected to Bowls Club during hours of ; 0800 to 2230 on Mondays to Saturdays and 0800 to 2030 on Sundays 

Applicant: Mr John Steer 

The Planning Officer presented the report.

Peter Wilkinson addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the application.

Councillor Osman addressed the Committee and spoke in support to the application.

Members of the Committee considered the report and Officers responded to the comments and questions raised.

The Chair summarised the application and agreed that approval of the application and supporting conditions to secure the enforceability of the proposals be delegated to officers subject to the receipt of a Noise Assessment Report to the satisfaction of the council’s Environmental Health service. Should applicants not agree to submit a report, officers be authorised to refuse the application in accordance with the recommendation. The motion was CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

1) that approval of the application and supporting conditions to secure the enforceability of the proposals be delegated to officers subject to the receipt of a Noise Assessment Report to the satisfaction of the council’s Environmental Health service.   

2) Should applicants not agree to submit a report, officers be authorised to refuse the application in accordance with the recommendation as set out below   

REASONS FOR REFUSAL 

1.     The proposed use of the building for additional non bowling related activities, by reason of the lack of an acoustic report, fails to address whether or not the use of the building for private functions would have any negative impact on the amenity of the occupiers of neighbouring properties from amplified sounds emanating from the building. As such the application is considered to be contrary to Policy DQP06 (Residential Amenity) of the Leicester Local Plan 2026 and policies DP3 and P3 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2026. 

NOTES FOR APPLICANT 

1.     The City Council engages with all applicants in a positive and proactive way through specific pre-application enquiries and the detailed advice available on the Council’s website. On this particular application advice was given during the application process. Notwithstanding that advice the City Council has determined this application by assessing the proposal against all material considerations, including planning policies and any representations that may have been received. As the proposal was clearly unacceptable and could not be reasonably amended it was considered that further discussions would be unnecessary and costly for all parties. 

Ward: Castle 

Proposal: Change of use from university teaching and administration building to fifteen student flats (15 x studio) (sui generis), bin and cycle stores to side (subject to legal agreement) 

Applicant: Mr D Shah 

The Planning Officer presented the report.

Dipesh Shah addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the application.

Councillor Kitterick addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the application.

Members of the Committee considered the report and Officers responded to the comments and questions raised.

The Chair summarised the application and the points raised by Members of the Committee and moved that the application be approved subjection to S106. This was seconded by Councillor Aldred and upon being put to the vote, the vote was unanimous and the motion was CARRIED.

RESOLVED: Subject to completion of a S106 Agreement securing open space and health contributions as set out in the report, planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions: 

CONDITIONS

1.    The development shall be begun within three years from the date of this permission. (To comply with Section 91 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990.)     

2.    The accommodation shall only be occupied by students enrolled on part or full-time courses at further and higher education establishments, or students working at a medical or educational institution as part of their medical or education course. The owner, landlord, or authority in control of the development shall keep an up to date register of the name of each person in occupation of the development together with course/s and establishment attended, and shall make the register available for inspection by the local planning authority on demand at all reasonable times. (To enable the local planning authority to consider amenity standards for any alternative residential use in accordance with Leicester Local Plan 2026 policies Ho03, Ho08, DQP01, DQP03 and DQP06 and the need for parking provision in accordance with Leicester Local Plan 2026 policies Ho09, and T07.)  

3.    Prior to occupation of the approved development, details of the bin store or details providing screening for the onsite bin store area as shown on the approved site plan shall be submitted to and approved by the local planning authority and shall subsequently be complete and ready for use.  The approved facilities shall be retained thereafter for use in connection with the approved use of the development and all refuse bins shall be kept within the screened designated area other than on refuse collection day.  (To ensure adequate facilities for the storage and collection of refuse and to preserve the character of the conservation area in accordance with Leicester Local Plan 2026 policies DQP01, DQP06, DQP07, and HE01.)

4.    The development hereby permitted shall at all times be managed and operated in full accordance with a Management, Parking and Travel Plan, the details of which shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority before the first occupation of the development. The plan shall set out procedures for:

(a) how the arrival and departure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

Ward: Knighton 

Proposal: Construction of 2 covered padel courts (Class F2) 

Applicant: Mr Umar Boodhoo 

Councillor Karavadra attended the meeting at 18.00pm, and did not participate in the discussion or vote.

The Planning Officer presented the report.

Heath Cade and Umar Boohoo addressed the Committee and spoke in support to the application.

Sarah Reynolds addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the application.

Councillor March addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the application.

Members of the Committee considered the report and Officers responded to the comments and questions raised.

The Chair summarised the application and the points raised by Members of the Committee and moved that the application be refused. This was seconded by Councillor Aldred and upon being put to the vote, the application was refused.

The Committee endorsed the amendments to the Terms of Reference and the Member Good Practice Guidance with the following observations:

• That Planning and Development Control Committee are clear that in Leicester there is appropriate use of the Committee procedure and scheme of delegation for determining applications, and that consequently the right cases come to Committee with the remainder being entrusted to officers.

• There is a concern that, in future, legislation may broaden the range of matters caught under Schedule 1, and that officers and Committee needed to be vigilant to ensure that opportunity for legitimate Member involvement in determining applications was not unduly eroded.

• Members noted that the Gateway Test places significant power in the hands of   the Nominated Member and the Nominated Officer and that the requirement for unanimity between them could, by default, result in more cases remaining delegated to officers.

• However, Members recognised the limited legal discretion available to the Council due to the statutory nature of the proposals, welcomed the attempts to align the new arrangements to mirror the current local scheme of delegation as far as possible, and agreed to support the proposals.

There being no other urgent business, the meeting closed at pm.

The Chair declared the meeting closed as there was no other urgent business.