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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Travel
John Baron

Old Leeds Girls' High School plans recommended for approval

City councillors are being asked to support controversial proposals for the redevelopment of the former Leeds Girls' High School site.

A report by planning officers to go before members of the West Plans Panel at the Civic Hall on Thursday afternoon recommends approval for more than 100 homes at the private school's former main campus in Headingley.

That recommendation comes despite a concerted three-year campaign by residents opposed to the plans - and about 1,250 letters of objection.

Concern over the plans led to the formation of the Leeds Girls High School Action Group, which objects to the proposals because of the loss of playing fields, the scale of the development, increased traffic and overall impact on the wider communities of Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse and the conservation area.

Councillors will consider five different applications for the site, and are being asked to decide each application on its own merits.

The report - which can be read in full here - says:

"The applications for the redevelopment of the Leeds Girls High School site have been considered against the relevant planning policy criteria and having regard to the receipt of public representations and consultations. The aim has been to deliver a high-quality residential scheme that promotes a mixtures of houses across the site to provide family accommodation.

"The site lies within the Area of Housing Mix which seeks to address the imbalance of the local community which this scheme is considered in part to be doing by providing housing suitable for occupation by a family.

"It is considered that the proposed house types, layout, public open space
areas and pedestrian footpaths and cycle routes along with the mix of accommodation proposed would accord with the wider aims of addressing this policy."

The report concludes:

"In principle, given the surrounding area is predominantly residential, a suitable family residential redevelopment on this sustainable site is considered acceptable."

The school wants to sell the site to a developer.

Students flats plans set for refusal

Meanwhile, plans for 65 student cluster flats with 154 bed spaces, car parking and landscaping at the former glassworks on Cardigan Road, Headingley, are recommended for rejection at the same meeting.

A report to be considered by councillor says the part four, five and six-story block of flats 'would be detrimental to the balance and sustainability of the local community and to the living conditions of people in the area.'

Local residents and councillors and groups including the Leeds HMO Lobby have all objected to the proposals.

What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.

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