Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Modhwadia.

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.

Councillor Kennedy-Lount declared that he received an invitation from the applicant, Dr Louay Al-Alousi, to the visit the premises to which he declined and remains open-minded on the application.

Councillor Kennedy-Lount also declared that the application relating item 20250285 - 252-258 Knighton Lane East, Rugby Football Club, building at rear, resides opposite his ward. Final declaration was made in reference 20240552 to 8 – 14 Raymond Road and 234a Narborough Road, relating to speaking on the cycle consideration raised in previous committee. He remains open-mined in all applications.

Cllr Kitterick declared that he was contacted by a potential objector and directed them to the relevant ward councillor copying in the Head of Planning into the email. Councillor Kitterick remained open-minded on the application.

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 1 October 2025 are a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Planning and Development Control Committee held 1 October 2025  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.

20250285 - 252-258 Knighton Lane East, Rugby Football Club Building at rear

Ward: Saffron

Proposal: Change of use of sports club premises (Class F2) to a place of worship with ancillary education (Class F1) (amended 15.10.25)

Applicant: Dr Louay Al-Alousi (Abu Salam)

The Planning Officer presented the report.

Alastair Grey and David Abbott addressed the Committee and spoke in opposition to the application.

Councillor Singh Patel declared an interest due to be living near to the property and withdrew from the item.

Councillor Cole was absent for part of the discussion and was therefore unable to participate in the vote.

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 in accordance with officer recommendation, the application be approved.

This was seconded by Councillor Mohammed and upon being put to the vote, the motion was CARRIED.

RESOLVED: permission was granted subject to 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.           Any gates installed along the access route from Knighton Lane East shall be set back at least 5 metres into the site from the highway boundary and shall be fixed so that they open inwards only (in the interests of highways safety and in accordance with saved City of Leicester Local Plan policy AM01, Core Strategy policy CS14 and paragraph 116 of the National Planning Policy Framework).

3.           Before the occupation of any part of the development, all parking areas shall be surfaced and marked out in accordance with the ‘Existing/Proposed Site Plans’ ref. VD25776, received 15.10.25.  and shall be retained for parking and not used for any other purpose. (To ensure that parking can take place in a satisfactory manner, and in accordance with saved City of Leicester Local Plan policies AM01 and AM11, Core Strategy policy CS03 and paragraph 116 of the National Planning Policy Framework).

4.           No part of the development shall be occupied until a Travel Plan for the development has been submitted to and approved in writing by the City Council as local planning authority and shall be carried out in accordance with a timetable to be contained within the Travel Plan, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Council. The plan shall (a) assess the site in terms of transport choice for staff, users of services, visitors and deliveries; (b) consider pre-trip mode choice, measures to promote more sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling, car share and public transport (including providing a personal journey planner, information for bus routes, bus discounts available, cycling routes, cycle discounts available and retailers, health benefits of walking, car sharing information, information on sustainable journey plans, notice boards) over choosing to drive to and from the site as a single occupancy vehicle users, so that all users have awareness of sustainable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

20250994 - 538 Saffron Lane

Ward: Saffron

Proposal: Change of use from house (Class C3) to a residential family assessment centre (Sui Generis)

Applicant: Nexus Family Ltd

Councillor Singh-Patel re-entered the meeting after withdrawing from the previous 20250285 – 252-258 Knighton Lane East item.

Councillor Cole entered the meeting and declared he had no interests.

The Planning Officer presented the report.

Sam Merry and Nicola Odom addressed the Committee and spoke in support of the application.

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

The Chair summarised the application and the points raised by Members of the Committee and moved that the application be approved in accordance with Officer’s recommendation.

This was seconded by Councillor Dr Moore and upon being put to the vote, the motion was CARRIED

RESOLVED: permission was granted subject to 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 premises shall not be used to accommodate any more than 2 families in care at any one time, unless otherwise approved in writing by the local planning authority. (To enable consideration of the amenity of residents and parking impacts of a more intensive use, in accordance with Policy CS14 of the Leicester Core Strategy (2014) and saved Policy PS10 of the Local Plan (2006).

3.         Prior to the commencement of the use approved under this application, the following works shall be completed in accordance with the details contained in the approved plans:

            - New stud walls not connected to any existing party walls

            - A cavity of at least 75mm between stud and party walls

            - At least 25mm acoustic insulation quilt within the cavity

            - At least 2 layers of 15mm acoustic plasterboard

            (To reduce noise levels and protect the residential amenity of the occupiers of numbers 540 Saffron Lane and in accordance with saved City of Leicester Local Plan policy PS10).

4.         Development shall be carried out in full accordance with the following approved plans:

             - 25/52/01, Proposed Floor Plans, Rev. A, Received on 11 September 2025

             - 25/52/04, Party Wall Sound Insulation, Received on 11 September 2025

            (For the avoidance of doubt).

            NOTES FOR APPLICANT

1.         There are statutory exemptions and transitional arrangements which mean that the biodiversity gain condition does not always apply.

            Based on the information available, this permission is considered to be one which will not require the approval of a biodiversity gain plan before development is begun because the following statutory exemption/transitional arrangement is considered to apply:

            Development below the de minimis threshold, meaning development which:

            i) does not impact an onsite priority habitat (a habitat specified in a list published under section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006); and

            ii) impacts less than 25 square metres of onsite habitat that has biodiversity value greater than zero and less than 5 metres in length of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5a

20240552 - 8-14 Raymond Road & 234A Narborough Road

Ward: Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields

Proposal: (Demolition of two storey clothing factory building at 8-14 Raymond Road (Class B2); construction of 3-storey residential apartments (Class C3) and change of use of 234A Narborough Road from Storage (Class B8) to residential apartments (Class C3) to provide 14 self-contained flats (12x 1 bed and 2x 2 bed flats); alterations (amended plans received 08/04/2025, 24/06/2025, 11/07/2025 and 08/10/2025) (subject to section 106 agreement)

Applicant: Mr Aman Singh

The Planning Officer presented the report.

There were no speakers in support or opposed of the application.

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

The Chair summarised the application and the points raised by Members of the Committee and moved that the application be approved in accordance with Officer’s recommendation. This was seconded by Councillor Kennedy-Lount and upon being put to the vote, the motion was CARRIED.

RESOLVED: permission granted subject to conditions and section 106 agreement

              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.           No development shall commence, including any works of demolition, until a Construction Method Statement (CMS), has been submitted to, and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved CMS shall be adhered to throughout the demolition and construction period. The statement shall provide for: 

              (i) the parking of vehicles of site operatives and visitors;

              (ii) the loading and unloading of plant and materials;

              (iii) the storage of plant and materials used in constructing the development;

              (iv) the erection and maintenance of security hoarding including decorative displays and facilities for public viewing, where appropriate;

              (v) wheel washing facilities;

              (vi) measures to control the emission of dust and dirt during construction;

              (vii) a scheme for recycling/disposing of waste resulting from demolition and construction works;

              (viii) a list of all works to be carried out in the highway and arrangements to facilitate these works, including scaffolding required within the highway, temporary traffic management plan/s and permits, licences and TTROs required. 

              (To ensure the satisfactory development of the site, and in accordance with saved policies AM01, UD06 of the City of Leicester Local Plan and Core Strategy policy CS03.  To ensure that the details are agreed in time to be incorporated into the development, this is a PRE-COMMENCEMENT condition).

3.           No construction or demolition work, other than unforeseen emergency work, shall be undertaken outside of the hours of 0730 to 1800 Monday to Friday, 0730 to 1300 Saturday or at any time on Sundays or Bank Holidays, unless the methodology has been submitted to the City Council Noise and Pollution Control Team. The methodology must be submitted at least 10 working days before such work commences and agreed in writing by the City Council Noise and Pollution Control Team.

              The City Council Noise and Pollution Control Team shall be notified of any unforeseen  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

There being no other urgent business the meeting closed at 18:44pm.