Aspiring Communities speak out on Ice Pak planning decision

Aspiring Communities, the organisation behind the controversial plans for the Ice Pak site in Beeston, have issued a statement about the recent decision of the Council’s Plans Panel.

Aspiring Communities appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in November because Leeds City Council had failed to make a decision on their application within a reasonable time. Their plans for the site include a sports hall and prayer room as well as parking on two levels.

Ice Pak 2 banner

We have previously reported here on South Leeds Life that the panel approved a report from planning officers setting out why they had felt unable to recommend approving the planning application. In that report they cited Aspiring Communities’ failure to answer questions about the use of the building.

In the statement from Aspiring Communities they say:

 “Aspiring communities fundamentally disagrees with this assertion by the officers of Leeds City Council. Not only do we disagree with this but we took expert planning barrister’s opinion on this very matter in June 2015 and that opinion based on the exchange of correspondence between aspiring communities and its representatives and officers of Leeds City Council, was that Aspiring Communities had gone beyond what was necessary to address the concerns raised by officers.

“Officers at Leeds City Council were made aware of that advice, but for whatever reason, only known to them, they failed to include it in the report to the plans panel. Aspiring Communities therefore questions whether members of the panel were made aware of all the facts surrounding the case before they came to their decision?

“Those interested in this case should also be aware that Aspiring Communities made a separate complaint about the handling of this application to which (at Stage 2) the officers charged with responding have failed to do so now for over 5 months.

“Aspiring Communities welcomes the opportunity to put the full facts before an independent Inspector, and the handling of the application before the local government ombudsman and potentially the Royal Town Planning Institute. Whatever decision is finally taken should be made in a less charged atmosphere than that surrounding the report to the plans panel.”

Aspiring Communities plans are opposed by Beeston Community Forum, Save Our Beeston, the three ward Councillors for Beeston & Holbeck and local MP Hilary Benn.

No date has been set for the Planning Inspector’s hearing, but it is understood that a date is likely to be announced next month.

 

5 Replies to “Aspiring Communities speak out on Ice Pak planning decision”

  1. what a strange statement to make,AC were given extension after extension to provide the information requested but fail to do so.
    If AC were genuinely wanted to address this why have they not presented the requested information in this article?

  2. Hi Jeremy , seeing your the only person in touch with our local charity , can you ask AC to speak to our community on Save our Beeston . Probably out of 3500 members 3400 have never seen them . Many thanks

  3. Hi All, I have made several requests to A/C regarding trimming the excessively high trees on their Barkly Road site, but have not had one response, whether they will or will not have them cut down.

    Could Jeremy Morton possibly get in touch with them about this problem, preferably before the good weather comes, as these trees blot out the sunlight on our gardens!!

  4. Are you still 100 per cent in favour of this application Jeremy? Just need to tell the people that matters

    1. Nothing has happened to change my personal views about this scheme. South Leeds Life does not take sides, but tries to report on developments and both sides of this controversy.

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