School site to get homes go-ahead

Planners meet next week to discuss five planning applications relating to the Leeds Girls' High School site in Headingley, which is now vacant following a merger with the Leeds Grammar School and a move to Alwoodley.

More than 1,000 letters have been sent to the council, many objecting to the loss of playing fields.

The merged school is seeking the planning permission so it can sell the site to a housing developer.

It wants permission to convert and extend the main school building into 32 apartments and four townhouses in the stable block.

Rose Court would become 12 apartments, while a 15-apartment block would also be built along with 51 townhouses on the main school site.

Objectors have campaigned for the retention of the playing fields but the chief planning officer's report says that their loss is acceptable in planning terms because they have been replaced by facilities at Alwoodley.

Sport England is also content that the new playing fields at Alwoodley are sufficient.

The council report says that while this is a "contentious matter" because Alwoodley is five miles from the Headingley site, it is important to note that the pitches at Headingley have never been publicly available "and as such it is accepted that they are not a loss of provision to the local community."

Because the area around the Headingley site is mainly residential, the plans for a "family residential redevelopment" are considered acceptable.

The apartments planned for the listed Rose Court building would be a good use of an old building, the report concludes.

"The proposed conversions and alterations have been carefully considered and broadly the conversion works are considered sympathetic to the listed building."

The plans also include the creation of public open space in the existing gardens.

This element of the scheme "should provide a good setting to the apartments and create an attractive landscaped area that enhances the listed building and adds to the sense of place being created by the proposed redevelopment of the entire site."

It adds: "The creation of a large swathe of public open space within the site is considered a positive and attractive design concept that should positively enhance the character and appearance of this part of Headingley conservation area."

The school has offered to allow public access to the Ford House Gardens for 10 years and this could be extended "in perpetuity. However, the move is dependent on future developments.

The report says that about 1,250 letters have been received covering the five planning applications.

Objectors who campaigned for the playing pitches to be retained have argued that the plans will have a negative effect on the conservation area and traffic.

The Victorian Society and Leeds Civic Trust are among the large number of objectors.

The Victorian Society claimed that the plans would lead to the site becoming "over developed".

Leeds Civic Trust said the houses and the gardens being proposed were too small, adding that the public open space would not be an inviting place t for non-residents.

The Trust also said the offer of a 10-year public use of the gardens was not sufficient.

The planning report, to be considered at a committee meeting starting at 1.30pm at Leeds Civic Hall next Thursday, concludes that all five applications are acceptable for approval.