City's sky towers may never be built

AN ICONIC skyscraper planned for Leeds City Centre may never materialise after council officers moved to refuse planning permission.

The two glass towers of the Lumiere development were launched amid a blazing fanfare, but the development, billed as Western Europe’s tallest residential tower, was mothballed by the recession.

Planning permission was granted in 2008 but council officers are concerned that seventeen months on, no agreement has been signed to meet the required conditions and they are recommending permission for the flagship development is now refused.

Work stopped on the skyscrapers, due to stretch 560ft above the city centre, in 2008. Ground works had already started on Lumiere following a previous planning consent.

Members of Leeds City Council’s city centre plans panel will meet on Thursday to discuss the matter.

A report to members of the authority says: “This application is being presented to members given the history of this site, thesignificance of the development and its profile both locally within Leeds and on a regional and national level.

“Officers have been very keen to complete this agreement and issue the permission in order to give this proposal the best possible chance of progressing.”

However, the report adds, one of the applicants, KW Linfoot, has gone into administration, and required details have not been agreed. It states: “The local planning authority cannot hold the application in abeyance indefinitely.”

Access to pavements around the site on Wellington Street, Leeds, was restricted as diggers moved in. When work stopped it was some time before the pavements were put back in use, and the report says the council had to this work itself.

“Work ceased on the development in July 2008. Work has recently been completed at the site to re-instate the former footways along the Wellington Street and Whitehall Road frontages.

“This work was carried out by the Local Highways Authority following the abandonment of the site by the developers and their unwillingness to carry out these essential highway works,” the report adds.

The iconic development was launched by designer Philippe Starck and a crowd of 1,000 VIPS, who were entertained by fire-eaters, a firework display and stilt walkers.

KW Linfoot is developing the site with Frasers Property Developments Ltd.

In February last year, KW Linfoot went into administration.

At the time, entrepreneur Kevin Linfoot, of KW Linfoot, said he believed the scheme would still go ahead once the property market improved and said buyers’ deposits would be protected.

A statement by Frasers Property, partners with KW Linfoot in the Lumiere project, added at the time: “In light of developments relating to KW Linfoot, Frasers Property will undertake a review of all their options regarding Lumiere. At present, no final decisions have been made.”

Planning permission was granted in July 2008 for the iconic glass towers of 33 storeys and 55 storeys in height, featuring a connecting covered public winter garden, 832 flats, 120 serviced apartments and offices.

Permission was granted according to the signing of an agreement ensuring that the development would have affordable housing and that highways conditions would be met. But so far this has not been agreed, despite numerous approaches from the council, the report to members says.

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