Fresh blow to prestige Lumiereproject

HOPES of building an iconic skyscraper in Leeds City Centre suffered a further setback yesterday after councillors agreed to refuse a 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 because of 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 were recommending that permission granted in 2008 was now refused. Yesterday members backed officers’ recommendations.

However, members of Leeds City Council’s city centre plans panel were told the developers still have a previous permission for a similar scheme, which is slightly smaller in height. That is unaffected by yesterday’s decision, meaning the project could still go ahead, albeit in a slightly different form.

Work stopped on the skyscrapers in 2008. Ground works had already started on Lumiere following the previous planning consent.

A report to members of the authority said: “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 states: “The local planning authority cannot hold the application in abeyance indefinitely.”

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.

But it was conditional on the signing of an agreement ensuring the development would have affordable housing and that highways conditions would be met. So far this has not been agreed.