By Don Mort, local democracy reporting service
Additional reporting: John Baron
Councillors could change their minds over proposals for a new Burger King drive-thru in Kirkstall after council officers issued a warning over the costs of a planning appeal.
As reported by WLD earlier this month, members of the south and west plans panel said they want to refuse controversial proposals for a new £2 million Burger King restaurant in Kirkstall.
There have been multiple objections surrounding traffic congestion and road safety.
Real estate investment trust NewRiver Retail submitted the single storey plan for the disused corner plot at Kirkstall Retail Park, next to Matalan. They say the project would create jobs and bring a disused site near Savins Mill Way back into use.
The original proposals were initially recommended for approval by Leeds City Council planning officers. But the council’s South and West plans panel did not give permission after arguments were heard at a meeting on September 5.
They asked planning officers to bring a report back to October’s south and west panel meeting detailing specific highways reasons why the plans should be refused.
Councillors will consider the application when the panel meets again next Thursday (October 3). A planning officer’s report offers two options, including refusing the application on highways grounds, or approving the proposals.
The report warns that the developer was likely to appeal and lodge a claim against the council for costs.
It said: “The panel may choose to accept officers’ previous recommendation to approve the application and not, as previously resolved, decide to refuse the application.”
At the September meeting, the panel resolved that it was “minded” to refuse permission. Final refusal would be subject to detailed reasons being drawn up.
Council officers had recommended the scheme be given consent, subject to a Section 106 legal agreement which would see the developer pay £30,000 towards road signal improvements and £42,000 for traffic cameras.
But the report said a successful appeal could potentially see the scheme go ahead without the Section 106 deal in place.
It said: “Officers would reiterate that the panel is entitled to change its mind over the previous resolution as a consequence of the content of this report and approve the application, subject to a Section 106 agreement.”
The report said council highways officers were satisfied that the traffic impact of the scheme was not serious enough to refuse permission.
The panel can either go ahead with refusal or defer and delegate the scheme for approval by the council’s chief planning officer.
The South and West Plans Panel meets next Thursday, 3 October, at Leeds Civic Hall. Full details and reports here.
Officers calling the shots again. The tail wags the dog at Leeds City Council – high time that changed!
It’s a lot of money for the council to throw away with the section 106, the area is a traffic nightmare and if this money will help then it’s a benefit, even if it means we have a BK, which is better than the current derelict bit of land
How will bringing in extra cars for a drive thru burger bar help ease the traffic nightmare?
Traffic congestion is already terrible in that area, £72k isn’t going to fix that.
Obesity is on the rise. How can this be good for the people of West Yorkshire, a county that has some of the highest levels of health inequality in the country.
I’m afraid I don’t agree with the councillors on this one – and the junction improvements from the money will be more valuable than having a few extra cars on the road.
I’ve followed this one with interest – the councillors will need to tread very carefully on this – both the planning officers and the developer know the developer will likely appeal and win. The costs to a so-called cash strapped council would be sizeable…
Take the section 160 benefit. Financial blackmail is a grubby way to get the permission and hopefully the Burger Drive Through will cause so much congestion ( and indigestion ) that it will have to shut!
it is a disgusting that the council in the first place refused burger King now do the right thing and allow the application for a new burger King. peaple need to remember how long this site has remained empty
also it will help the economy to grow and much needed employment also the council will benefit by the taxes it will bring in. has for the traffic it will not effect anything so get the burger King up and running
So lots of extra cars visiting a drive thru burger bar won’t affect the traffic? Okey dokey!
It wasn’t disused, it was extra parking for cars visiting the shops.