Officers from the Planning Policy Team, Leicester City Council will be present to inform residents of the consultation in relation to the Student Accommodation Supplementary Planning Document.
Minutes:
Councillor Kitterick presented a public consultation draft of detailed planning guidance which would be applied to all planning application for new student housing in Leicester, and proposed restrictions on the conversion of family homes to shared housing in certain areas of the city. The document was available on the Council’s website, and the consultation period would end on 14 March 2012. Residents were invited to give their opinions and suggest additions to the policy.
Currently Leicester City Council had no policy to successfully turn down applications for student accommodation without facing legal challenge through the Planning Inspector. Through the new policy, developers would have to meet set criteria. Councillor Kitterick stated that if Leicester City Council had had a policy in place previously, the 22 storey tower built near to DMU would have been turned down due to its height. Since November 2011, Leicester City Council had been operating a temporary moratorium on new student housing. No further applications would be considered until the SPD was agreed after the consultation period. Residents were urged to write in and support the document to add weight when the document was considered. Councillor Kitterick appreciated residents’ frustrations, and feelings in that it was too late to reverse some of the decisions that had been made.
Councillor Kitterick informed the meeting that Section 3 (p.11) of the document did not apply exclusively to students, but to any non-related adults sharing accommodation. Current legislation meant planning permission was only required if the conversion of a family home into shared accommodation was for more than six people. The Council was proposing the introduction of an Article 4 Direction which would require planning permission for more than three non-related people, and was proposing to implement it in Castle, Freemen, Stoneygate and Westcotes Wards.
A resident requested the inclusion of measures for developers to provide adequate parking if housing was converted into shared accommodation. The meeting was informed that planning applications would be assessed with regards to the number and percentage of shared housing, and the cumulative impact on an area in terms of overburden on amenities and changes to the character of an area. Councillor Kitterick stated that the area in Castle Ward near to DMU and the surrounding area had a weakened community, and that Clarendon Park area was in danger of turning that way also.
Residents raised concerns over the illegal car park situated on Filbert Street, which they stated was detrimental to the residential area, blighted their lives and undermined Leicester City Council. Councillor Clayton informed the meeting he had written as a councillor objecting to the planning application and had recommended refusal of the application. He went on to say the application for a car park on Havelock Street had also been opposed by him. A resident stated the car park on Havelock Street had installed lights which lit up his house, and asked if the lights were legal. Councillor Kitterick informed the resident the query would be passed on to officers and he would follow-up the query for a response.
Residents raised concerns over the number of ‘To Let’ signs in the area with letting agencies details on them, and the length of time they were in position outside houses. Councillor Kitterick answered that signage should be removed after three months of sale or let, and that any longer was illegal advertising. He stated that Leicester City Council officers needed to find a good plan in practice elsewhere in the country around the issue and adopt it.