Demolished! (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

Leeds Liberal Democrats <info@leedslibdems.org.uk>

Demolished!

November 27, 2009 12:00 AM

Councillors and local residents are outraged that Victorian buildings have been demolished at the former St. Josephs care home site in Horsforth.

Leeds City Council's Plans Panel West met yesterday (Thursday 26th November) to discuss the progress of a planned new care home. Full plans for the development have yet to be submitted but developers went ahead and cleared the site which included two original stone built Victorian houses.

The new building represents a modern design with 81 bedrooms and could be up to five storeys high. Concerns have been raised by local residents and councillors about the lack of car parking space for residents, staff and visitors to the care home.

Current plans show only 28 car parking spaces for the development which councillors feel is inadequate for a facility providing around the clock care and the intensive staffing issues this entails.

The panel expressed their concerns over the scheme, its size, design and how it will not fit in with the character of Horsforth. Panel members said the current design is more in keeping with urban Leeds and should be more sympathetic to Horsforth's village character.

Their comments will be given to the developers who will decide whether to take these views into account before submitting their final design scheme to the panel.

Cllrs Brian Cleasby and Chris Townsley (Lib Dem, Horsforth) both attended yesterday's meeting.

Cllr Brian Cleasby said:

"I am appalled that after all the years they have worked on this planning application officers appear to be unaware of the type of care that is to be provided. This is a basic requirement when considering parking requirements for this site.

"We are however pleased with what has been said by plans panel members. They were supportive of our views and those of residents. Hopefully they will go back to the drawing board and come up with something more in keeping with Victorian Outwood Lane".

Cllr Chris Townsley (Lib Dem, Horsforth) added:

"The developers have acted in complete contempt. By demolishing the Victorian buildings they have left no scope for salvaging any part of what was there before".

"Not enough emphasis was placed on the car parking issue. Questions should have been asked from the outset about staffing and shift patterns. Some elderly people require round the clock care and provision needs to be made for the necessary staff to park on-site.

"We feel that changes need to be made to the design and the size of the development. A more conventional building at the right scale will be at least something if we can achieve it."