Leeds University made two planning applications to re-develop its St Mark’s Flats site adjacent to Monument Moor. The first was application 10/00407/FU made on 3.2.10. The second was application 11/04449/FU made on 20.10.11

Here’s a copy of the officer’s report dated 20.5.10 on the first planning application. At paragraph 10.39, it states that the university wanted all of the £150,000 s106 greenspace contribution to be spent on improving Monument Moor and Cinder Moor. It also states that officers wouldn’t agree to this, and recommended refusal of the application if the university didn’t agree to what they wanted.

The application was approved on 26.10.10 just four days after the university had signed a section 106 agreement (dated 22.10.10) agreeing to what the officers wanted. Isn’t this called blackmail? Here’s the section 106 agreement.

Then, in 20.10.11, the university submitted amended planning application 11/04449/FU. Here’s the officer’s report. The application was given approval on 17.1.12, one day after the university signed a section 106 agreement very similar to the one it had signed a year earlier.

The first £73,757.32 was payable on the first occupation of the flats (ie October 2013). The second £73,757.31 is payable on the first anniversary of the occupation of the flats (i.e October 2014). The money must be spent within ten years of it being given to the council. Half of the money must be spent on greenspace improvement in the area. Half of it must be spent on Woodhouse Moor.

The council promised as part of the agreement to consult with local councillors AND local residents to find out how they want the money spent (so far there’s been no consultation with local residents).