Contentious proposals for 154 bed spaces in a student flats development have been refused by Leeds council.
Councillors sitting on yesterday's plans panel west agreed with planning officers' observations that the 64 student cluster flats were 'detrimental to the balance and sustainability of the community and the living conditions of people living in the area'.
The plans were for a four, five and six storey development at the former glassworks site in Cardigan Road.
Headingley Liberal Democrat councillor Jamie Matthews said:
"The area just cannot cope with any more students flats in the area - and I'm not sure there's actually a demand for more wither. This plan wouldn't do anything for the community."
The scheme - opposed by a variety of community groups in the Headingley, Kirkstall, Weetwood, Hyde Park and Weetwood areas of the city - has a complex planning history.
Plans for 86 flats comprising 10 two-bedroom duplexes, 44 two-bedroom flats and 32 one-bedroom flats were approved three years ago. 2008 proposals for 60 cluster flats with 256 bed spaces were refused by councillors and then on appeal by a planning inspector.
Councillors unanimously opposed the latest proposals, which were made by Park Lane Properties.
Escher House flats get time extension despite concerns
Councillors approved a three-year extension to an existing planning permission to part demolish and a two-and-a-half storey side extension to form 14 flats at Escher House on Cardigan Road, Headingley.
As permission for the development had already been granted in 2005, councillors could not object to the principle of the plans - despite 19 fresh letters of objection from residents.
But councillors sought assurances from planning officers that a condition which blocked students from living in the flats was enforced. The issue was raised by Labour Armley councillor Janet Harper, Headingley Liberal Democrat Jamie Matthews and Labour Hyde Park and Woodhouse member Javaid Akhtar.
Marian Charlton, who has lived in Headingley for 30 years, told the meeting she was concerned for the character and green space of the area and said that the Victorian Gothic building was of historical importance to Leeds.
She added that there were many dense ad hoc developments planned which would affect the area, like Leeds Girls High School and the glassworks and that two-bedroom flats would attract an increasingly transient population to the area. Charlton told the meeting:
"I am very concerned that the area does not reduce into some of the problems that Woodhouse has today - that was a good area 30 years ago."
Councillors approved the application in principle by five votes to two (Matthews and Akhtar voting against). Members deferred and delegated the final decision on the scheme to the chief planning officer, subject to the applicant fulfilling a number of conditions which were specified in the report under item number nine here.
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