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Area Action Plan for Inner NW Leeds
1. Planning The Planning & Compulsory Purchase
Act 2004, and its accompanying Regulations, introduce local
development frameworks, replacing the existing system of local,
structure and unitary development plans. This new planning regime
offers new opportunities to address some of the problems of Inner
NW Leeds.
1.1 Planning Policy Statement 1, Delivering
Sustainable Development (2005) outlines key principles,
which include sustainable development, a spatial approach, and community
involvement. ‘Spatial planning’ goes beyond traditional
land use planning to bring together and integrate policies for the
development and use of land with other policies and programmes which
influence the nature of places and how they can function.
1.2 Planning Policy Statement 12, Local
Development Frameworks (2004) sets out the portfolio of
local development documents which will comprise the spatial planning
strategy for a local planning authority’s area. These include
a core strategy, site specific allocations of land, and area action
plans (where needed).
1.3 "Area Action Plans should be used to provide
the planning framework for areas where significant change or conservation
is needed. Among other things, they should protect areas particularly
sensitive to change and resolve conflicting objectives in areas
subject to development pressures" (PPS12, 2.17).
2 Problems The areas in & around Headingley
in Inner NW Leeds are notorious locally and nationally for their
imbalance, and hence their unsustainability. Many of their problems
may be appropriately addressed by an Area Action Plan. The Companion
Guide to PPS12 identifies a number of relevant circumstances.
2.1 Areas that are particularly sensitive to
change or development: much of Inner NW is designated a Conservation
Area, which has recently been degraded by inappropriate development.
2.2 Areas in multiple ownership subject to
particular development pressures, such as town centres; Central
Headingley is under considerable pressure in consequence of demographic
changes in its hinterland.
2.3 Areas in multiple ownership subject to
particular change: the whole of the proposed Area has been
subject to massive demand by a very specific sector of the housing
market.
3 Plan Leeds HMO Lobby therefore proposes that
Leeds’ Local Development Framework includes an Area Action
Plan for Inner NW Leeds. The aim of the Area Action
Plan is to restore sustainable development to Inner NW Leeds, and
its objective is to rectify the key problem, the housing imbalance
which has arisen in the Area (thereby undermining the Area’s
character, amenity and sustainability). The scope
of the Area is that of ASHORE, modified as indicated below (3.1.1),
the proposal involves all the communities in this Area, as members
of the Lobby. The Action Plan adopts a comprehensive spatial approach,
and comprises some or all of the following measures.
3.1 Leeds UDP Review, Policy H15 The Area Action
Plan is based on the Area of Student Housing Restraint (ASHORE),
introduced in Leeds UDP Review, whose aim is to restrain student
housing, the chief driver of housing imbalance. Leeds HMO Lobby
proposes the following modifications.
3.1.1 The boundaries are revised (a) in accordance
with the consensus agreed at the time of the Public Inquiry in 2004,
and detailed in the Lobby’s Position
Statement, and (b) in accordance with the recommendations
made in the Far Headingley Design Statement of 2005 (3.3.1).
3.1.2 The scope of Policy H15 is revised to refer
to restraint of ‘HMOs’ rather than ‘student houses’,
as recommended in the Lobby’s Position
Statement (‘ASHORE’ would thereby be re-designated
‘AMOR’).
3.2 Headingley Renaissance In order
to restore sustainability in the Area, the Action Plan includes
the measures concerning Central Headingley detailed in Headingley
Renaissance (2005), as designed by the Central Headingley Strategy
Group, a sub-group of the Area Committee.
3.3 Neighbourhood Design Statements In order
to conserve the character of the Area, the Action Plan includes
all Neighbourhood Design Statements adopted within the Area.
3.3.1 Far Headingley, Weetwood & West Park
Neighbourhood Design Statement (2005), prepared by Far Headingley
Village Society, covers the northern part of the Area, and was adopted
as Supplementary Planning Guidance by Leeds in February 2005.
3.3.2 A complementary Neighbourhood Design Statement
for Headingley, covering the central part of the Area, is a key
proposal of Headingley Renaissance.
3.3.3 In due course, Neighbourhood Design Statements
may be developed for other parts of the Area, for instance, Kirkstall,
in the west.
3.4 Diversity
Zones have been proposed previously by the Lobby (2004),
in order to increase diversity of housing provision.
3.4.1 The object of Diversity Zones is to reduce
the proportion of HMOs in the Area, by setting a target maximum
of HMOs.
3.4.2 Throughout the Area, the normal target is
not more than 10% of residential properties in any street are HMOs
[the same target has been adopted in Glasgow and Fife]; in some
selected zones, the target may be relaxed, while in other zones,
the target may be reduced to zero HMOs.
3.4.3 HMO licensing (3.5.1) is one means [there
may be others] by which the targets may be achieved. (a) All existing
HMOs which qualify will be awarded licences. (b) In accordance with
AMOR (3.1.2), no new licences will be awarded. (c) In accordance
with Diversity Zone policy, licences will not be renewed where HMOs
exceed the target.
3.5 Leeds Housing Strategy can provide a housing
policy framework for the restoration of housing balance in the Area.
3.5.1 The Housing Strategy can introduce Additional
HMO Licensing throughout the Area; this policy was endorsed in 2005
by the Area Committee.
3.5.2 The Housing Strategy can establish a Special
Purpose Vehicle in order to acquire, renovate and let or lease redundant
HMOs in the Area.
3.5.3 The Housing Strategy can support a local
Community Land Trust for the same purpose; such a Trust has been
proposed in the Lobby’s paper Kept
in the Community, and is currently being explored by Headingley
Network, with the Area Committee’s support.
3.6 Leeds Left Bank In order to raise
the profile of the Area, and to attract a wider range of residents,
the Action Plan includes the Leeds
Left Bank promotion strategy for the Area, proposed by
Leeds HMO Lobby. This proposal has been included as Action G2 in
the North West District Action Plan.
Leeds HMO Lobby
6 June 2005
Leeds HMO Lobby
email: hmolobby@hotmail.com
website: www.hmolobby.org.uk/leeds
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