By John Baron
Councillors have largely welcomed very early proposals for around 509 apartments on the former Thyssen Krupp site off Kirkstall Road.
Developers Forshaw Group presented their initial ideas to develop the site to councillors sitting on the city plans panel this afternoon.
The pre-application hearing was intended to provide the developers with an initial reaction to their proposals, ahead of a formal planning application being submitted.
Councillors heard every resident would have a ‘high quality’ view of green space.
The development would be between five and 12 storeys high across five blocks, with ground floor commercial uses as well as landscaping, green spaces and car parking.
Apartments would be between one to three bedrooms, and would be for private sale.
Cllr Peter Carlill (Lab, Calverley & Farsley) largely welcomed the plans and said the area was becoming a community in itself.
He added: “Generally I think this is a really positive scheme and I like what they’re doing with the green space and I like the look of the buildings.”
Cllr Carlill had concerns that the proposals would block the view of green space and the river behind it from Kirkstall Road. He added concerns that: “We might end up with a large expanse of buildings along the roadside I am a bit worried Kirkstall Road could feel like an urban valley.”
Developers Forshaw Group said there was an effort to create two visual connections through the site for pedestrians and cycles. They are aiming to create quality screening for the green space and the rest of the development from Kirkstall by placing buildings at the edge.
Cllr Katie Dye (Lab, Killingbeck & Seacrfot) raised issues around a ‘dark and intimidating’ treatment to the car park area. Her comment was backed by Cllr Jools Heselwood (Lab, Weetwood). Developers said more design work was needed on the evolving scheme, which would include lighting and ensuring community safety.
Cllr Asghar Khan (Lab, Burmantofts & Richmond Hill) stressed the importance of connectivity to existing sites and communities.
John Garvani (Lab, Horsforth) said the site needed to be safe from flooding, given the flooding which happened in 2015. Simon Seary (Cons, Pudsey) called for more than 7% affordable housing and questioned the need for a residents’ cinema.
David Blackburn (Green, Farnley & Wortley) said: “Overall it looks a good scheme,” he said, but called for a better mix of housing.
Cllr Colin Campbell (Lib Dem, Otley & Yeadon), said he was generally ‘quite impressed’ with the proposals but urged developers to be policy compliant in terms of room sizes.
Councillors agreed that there needed top be 10% affordable housing at the development, although developers added the site had financial viability issues.
A council planning officer’s report considers by councillors said: “The proposals include tall blocks facing Kirkstall Road adjacent to the junction with Viaduct Road. Twelve storeys constitutes a significant scale away from the city centre however the site is somewhat of a transitional site and this scale is specific to the northwest corner of the site.”
Developers will now consider the points make ahead of submitting a full planning application for the site, which is expected later this year.
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Thanks for such a detailed report of both proposal and discussion. It sounds very promising. My concern, having followed the continuing construction and infilling in the city centre with handsome apartment blocks, is that the proposed twelve-storey buildings would set a precedent for more high-rise construction outside the city centre.
Don’t have a problem with high rise (although whatever happened to balconies*) after all the many blocks of flats built in the 50s, 60s and 70s housed tens of thousands all over the city.
My only sadness is not one mention of the thousands of manufacturing jobs along the Kirkstall Road corridor lost forever.
* Remember the promises made during COVID about lack of access to fresh air?
Not more traffic trying to access housing along this horrendously busy road! Not to mention the pollution for residents living in these high rise blocks. 12 storey blocks will also be an eyesore along this road and darken the area, I think it’s a bad idea. I wouldn’t want to live there and neither would the councillors proposing this is a good idea.