RACECOURSE APPROACH

On 10th March, Better Wetherby(BW) were invited to a North and East Leeds Plans Panel meeting,  convened for Councillors to receive an update and progress report regarding the Racecourse Approach / Swinnow Park development.  More details are provided in our March Newsletter.

The meeting provided much food for thought and is available to view on the Leeds City Council youtube channel.  
FYI, the discussion about Racecourse Approach starts at approximately 1hr 58min; the comments from Roger Owen (BW Chair) commence at approximately 2hr 21min

Following on from the meeting, which discussed the Officers Report (see here),  BW submitted a letter to the planners (see here) expanding on the comments raised at the meeting.
Subsequent to the meeting, minutes have been produced by LCC and are available to view on their website.  For ease of access, BW have downloaded a copy of these minutes (see here). They make interesting reading and it is clear that the councillors have a number of reservattons about the current plans with comments such as:
  • ".. this development before the Panel was underwhelming.."
  • ".. did not seem to have listened to what was required in the locality.."
  • ".. had concerns about how the affordable housing was to be distributed through the site.."
  • ".. this proposal was not innovative enough and needed to be designed with the site and location firmly in mind.."
  • ".. wished to see the design bring in the countryside through design and materials.."
  • ".. the developers needed to be forward thinking in terms of ground source heat pumps being provided.."
  • ".. there was an over supply of 4-5 bedroom properties and that the area required more 3-4 bedroom properties. It was also noted that there was a demand in the area for bungalows.."​ 

The planning portal is open for comments on this reserved matters application, you are free to make you feelings known to the planners on the LCC portal

​
Information, documents and plans regarding the development can be viewed on the Leeds City Council Planning portal, below are links to the various sections: ​
RACECOURSE APPROACH
Despite objections from Better Wetherby, Wetherby Town Council, Wetherby Civic Society and many individual objectors, planning permission was given by Leeds City Council (LCC) in August 2020 to Taylor Wimpey to build up to 800 new homes on land north of Wetherby Racecourse, east of the A1 (M). 
 
This huge housing scheme known as Swinnow Park, now has outline planning consent, subject to some 50 planning conditions in such matters as Layout, Scale, Appearance and Landscaping of the development. All will require planning approval from LCC Planning Department.  

​Representatives of Taylor Wimpey recently met with LCC officers to further discuss the planning conditions. As a result, further work is to be done by TW to take account of comments from LCC in respect of housing types, design and reducing carbon/saving energy.
 
Over the past 18 months, BW has been in regular dialogue with TW and the LCC Planners in efforts to promote measures with the aim of ensuring that the outcome will be an attractive and indeed, an exemplar development. On Thursday, 10th February 2022, Taylor Wimpey officials again met with representatives of BW to discuss the planning conditions. The meeting took place prior to a public exhibition at Wetherby Town Hall that was well attended by local people. Many of those attending expressed concern about the sheer scale of the development and the negative impact and serious implications it will undoubtedly have on Wetherby.
 
Chair of Better Wetherby, Roger Owen, said “It is clear to me that many Wetherby residents have been unaware of the scale of this development and the impact it will have on our Town. The public exhibition will, at least, have helped to raise awareness and allowed people to highlight their concerns to the developers. With Planning permission already granted, BW will be continuing our efforts, working with the developer and the LCC planning officials, to mitigate the negative impact on the Town and try to get the best possible outcome
​​Racecourse Approach - "Outline" Planning permission granted: 22nd September 2021

Leeds Planning department have granted Outline planning permission Taylor Wimpey (TW) to build 800 homes on the Racecourse Approach / Swinnow Hill site on the east of Wetherby. 
  • The Decision Notice is available for viewing /download, and can also be viewed on the Leeds planning portal.  This decision means that TW can now proceed to obtaining approval of the 'Reserved Matters', i.e. Layout, Scale, Appearance and Landscaping of the development, all of which will require planning approval from Leeds Planning department. ​

  • Also included on the planning portal is the  Report from the Chief Planning Officer, this contains details of the planners reasoning and decision making process.  It also includes the following summary of the key conditions attached to the development:

  • The outline permission provides a comprehensive list of 47 specific requirements to be met for the site.  A number of these conditions are ones that have been specifically highlighted by Better Wetherby in their representations and consultations with Leed City Council and with Taylor Wimpey.

  • The outline permission also included  a signed legal agreement for both the site development and for financial contributions from the developers to Leeds and Wetherby.  This is defined as a Section 106 agreement and is summarised in the Planning Officers report as below:

​Better Wetherby will continue liaising with Taylor Wimpey, Leeds City Council and other parties to ensure that this development is implemented in a manner that complements our town, rather than detracting from it.  We are encouraged by comments in the Planning Officers report and Decision notice such as:

  • The on-going work with the applicants to deliver a high quality, sustainable and exemplar scheme also lends support to the application, the detail of which would be secured and delivered through a robust set of planning conditions and considered in further detail with future reserved matters submissions.

  • Prior to the occupation of the Primary School, a School Travel Plan which shall demonstrate measures to encourage alternative modes of transport for staff other than single occupancy of vehicles and include timescales for when those measures shall be put into place.

  • No development shall commence on the permitted site until a scheme detailing surface water drainage works, include details of the Sustainable Urban Drainage scheme, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

  • Prior to the commencement of each phase of the permitted site a Biodiversity Enhancement & Management Plan (BEMP) shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA.

  • The development hereby permitted shall comprise public open space within the development, including the provision of children's play areas and equipment, in accordance with the requirements of the relevant Core Strategy policy at the time of the Reserved Matters submission. Such details shall also include details of landscaping, how the Greenspace is to remain public in perpetuity and details of its long term maintenance.
    ​
  • No development shall take place until a programme of archaeological recording has been secured. 
    This comment arises from representations from Better Wetherby and the Wetherby Civic Society requesting further information, and possible excavation, of the site of Swinnow Hall. 
                      (See Archaeological Page for latest information)​
BW are playing key role in design workshop
BW representatives are participating in a series of Design Workshops, conducted via Zoom, with representatives of the developers, Taylor Wimpey (TW), Leeds City Council, Wetherby Town Council and Wetherby Civic Society. The aim of BW is to contribute in a practical and positive way to ensure that this large settlement of 800 new homes, to be known as Swinnow Park, meets the highest standards of design and construction that will result in an exemplar development, not only complementing our attractive town, but also becoming a model for the area, region and, hopefully, nationally.
​
More details can be viewed in our newsletters (Oct2020,  Dec2020, Jun2021).  Discussion documents can be viewed on-line, we hope to report further news in the near future. 
Picture
RACECOURSE APPROACH – PLANS PANEL MEETING ON 6TH AUGUST 2020

This application by Taylor Wimpey (TW) to build a development of 800 houses on the outskirts of Wetherby has been in the planning system for around 3 years. It has received consistent and strong opposition from BW and many local people and subject to scrutiny in several hearings by Leeds City Council Plans Panel (meeting of Councillors).  At a previous Plans Panel meeting, the application was approved subject to a number of conditions being met, including a key issue of ensuring that an access point was secured onto York Road on the south-western corner of the site.

In recent months representatives of TW have engaged in negotiations to purchase land to secure the necessary access point. As they have been unable to reach an agreement with the landowner, TW requested that this specific condition be removed and gave Notice of Appeal should their request not be granted. Leeds Planning Officers reported that they supported the removal of the condition, maintaining that other access points from Racecourse Approach would be acceptable.

At a lengthy meeting of the Plans Panel on 6th August, BW spokesperson, Ward Councillor Alan Lamb, pointed out that to allow the removal of the condition would be in direct conflict with the approved Leeds Site Allocation Plan (SAP). This would call into question the relevance of the SAP and undermine the whole ethos of the National Planning process. Councillor Lamb said that BW accepted that a development would take place on this site, as it was allocated in the Leeds SAP. However, as it would bring huge change to Wetherby, the biggest change for over 50 years, it was important to get things right. He maintained that the application in its current form was not right for Wetherby and asked that the application be rejected. Peter Catton, speaking on behalf of Wetherby Civic Society, also opposed the application. He contended that it failed to meet the requirements of the Leeds SAP, the National Planning Framework and the Wetherby Neighbourhood Plan. 

Mark Johnson, representing TW, also addressed the Panel. He maintained that the removal of the condition was compliant with the SAP and that TW would be pressing ahead irrespective of the Panel’s decision. He confirmed that a notice of appeal was in the system. Mr. Johnson said that TW was hopeful that the design stage would be the time for consultation and engagement with those who were critical of the development.

Several members of the Panel expressed serious concerns about the application. However, in spite of those reservations there was a majority vote of 8 – 5 in favour of removing the condition about the access point and allowing the application to progress to the next phase in the planning process, that of the detailed design stage.

Whilst the outcome is a disappointment, it is the view of BW that it also presents an opportunity. It is accepted that a development on this site will take place, probably over a period of several years. Therefore the aim of BW is now to ensure that this becomes an exemplar housing development. BW is fully prepared to reach out and engage in a positive way with TW and Leeds Planning Officers to offer our views and advice during the detailed design phase. Local people can be assured that BW will be continuing our efforts, using the means at our disposal, to ensure that we achieve the best possible outcome for our town.

Serious concerns remain about this application. These include the site’s isolation, lack of public transport, adverse impact of increased traffic from the development adding to congestion, lack of parking spaces, road safety, and pressures upon already overstretched local services. 

Racecourse Approach Update 10-July-2020
As we have outlined in previous newsletters, this application by Taylor Wimpey to build 800 new houses has been strongly opposed by BW during the various stages of the planning process. There have also been many individual objections from local people concerned about the negative consequences on Wetherby from the creation of such a massive development, see the Leeds CC planning portal or our website.
The impact of this development will be severe, particularly in terms of increased traffic and air pollution adding to the existing highways problems of the town, together with further strain on already overburdened schools, health services, local infrastructure and services. However, despite the strong grounds for objection, in August 2019, Leeds Plans Panel approved outline planning permission subject to certain conditions. One major condition was provision to allow access to the site from York Road. This was also a requirement from the Government Inspector, when approving inclusion of this site in the overall Leeds Site Allocations Plan (SAP).

The application is to be considered once again by the Plans Panel (meeting of Councillors) on Thursday, 16th July 2020. The current situation is that the developers, Taylor Wimpey, have been unable to reach an agreement to purchase some land which would allow vehicular access to the site from York Road. This access point is important and one of a number of conditions imposed on the developers by the Plans Panel. In short, the conditions have to be met before they can start building. Taylor Wimpey maintain that they have made a reasonable offer for the land and, as they have not been able to persuade the landowner to sell, they now wish the condition to be removed. The company has served a Notice of Appeal which may result in a Public Inquiry if the Plans Panel do not support the removal.
In their report before the Plans Panel, Leeds Planning Officers now state that there is no technical evidence to demonstrate that the absence of vehicular access at this point in York Road would be detrimental. They suggest that other access points from Racecourse Approach itself are acceptable. It is evident from the report that Planning officials are concerned that Leeds City Council is in danger of losing an Appeal by Taylor Wimpey and costs incurred by the Council in such a process could be considerable.  

On being informed about this latest twist in an already protracted application, BW convened an urgent Steering Group meeting to discuss the situation. Representatives of BW will be attending the Plans Panel meeting and we are currently working in liaison with our Ward Councillors to engage with Leeds City Planners to try to resolve various issues in advance of the meeting. One of these issues relates to making representations at the meeting. In normal circumstances, objectors are given a few minutes to outline their specific reasons of opposition. In this case, the Planning Officers report states that as there are no new material issues, there are no grounds to allow public speaking at this meeting. This statement is in direct conflict to letters sent to individual objectors which states they can speak at the meeting. We believe that BW and Ward Councillor representations are essential at the meeting and will seek to ensure this is allowed.
The issue of removing the condition about the access point in York Road is an important one. If the Plans Panel allow the removal of the condition, then it will be in direct conflict with the approved Leeds Site Allocation Plan (SAP). Such action will call into question the relevance of the SAP and will undermine the whole ethos of the planning process.
In the event of such an outcome, then BW will consider writing to the Secretary of State with a view to ‘calling in the application’ which could result in a Public Inquiry. Whilst we sincerely hope that this can be avoided, BW is prepared to proceed on such a basis and work to achieve a similar outcome as with our successful efforts stopping the Stockeld Park/Hallam development of 210 houses on the Spofforth Hill boundary.

Picture

​Racecourse Approach Planning Application
On Thursday, 29 August 2019, after a hearing lasting 3 hours, and in spite of the developer not meeting specified requirements from an earlier hearing, Leeds City Council Plans Panel considered the outline planning application by developers, Taylor Wimpey to build 800 new houses on land adjacent to Racecourse Approach, which forms the first part of an 1,100 houses development.
 
Wetherby Ward Councillor Alan Lamb, together with local residents, Peter Catton and Ingrid McLaughlin, speaking on behalf of Better Wetherby, argued that the application was flawed in several areas. Problems highlighted included lack of access to the site from York Road, lack of public transport, concerns about road safety and pressures upon already overstretched local services including health and schools.
 
Of serious concern was the likely impact of increased traffic from the development adding to already major problems of congestion and lack of parking spaces in the Town, with the associated harmful impact of air pollution caused by emissions from these additional vehicles on the health and wellbeing of local people. Climate change challenges and efforts to reduce carbon in new housing developments were also raised.
 
However, despite concerns, a majority of the Panel voted to support a motion by Labour Councillor Peter Gruen that the matter be delegated to the Chief Planning Officer with a directing proviso that no work could commence until outstanding major issues, especially relating to access had been resolved.
 
Councillor Alan Lamb said “The Panel gave us a fair hearing but, unfortunately, voting was on party political lines, with the majority Labour members all voting to accept the planning application. Fortunately, they accepted our arguments on the requirement that vehicular access was needed from York Road before development could take place and that a consultative panel would be set up to allow local interests to ensure that the development would meet Wetherby’s requirements.”

After the meeting, Peter Catton of Better Wetherby said “We won the battle today, but sadly we have lost the war. Our attractive and historic market town will be the poorer for this decision".

See this Press Release for comments from Better Wetherby following Leeds Plans Panel decision on 29th August. 

At a subsequent Planning Panel meeting on 30 January 2020, Taylor Wimpey sought to weaken the planning conditions on access from York Road. Better Wetherby members, Councillor Alan Lamb and Peter Catton, were successful in persuading the Panel to reject these changes unanimously and insist on the original conditions, as set out in the Leeds Site Allocation Plan and at the previous meeting, being met.

Recently the Leader of Leeds Council, Judith Blake, has stated in writing that “the outline planning application has yet to be determined” and that once further submissions have been received from Taylor Wimpey “we will be in a position to re-notify all interested parties in order that they have their comments”

Better Wetherby have submitted a number of comments regarding the Racecourse Approach Site.
A full list of documents related to this site can be found at Leeds CC - Racecourse Approach 

A selection of objections to this site are detailed on this page
 
​
Better Wetherby take the protection of your personal information very seriously, see our Privacy Policy and a our Data Protection Policy ​for full details.
 Please feel free to contact us.