Neglected children's home to be turned into flats

A neglected former children's home will be turned into flats despite dozens of objections.

Councillors approved plans to turn the buildings of St Margaret's children's home in Headingley into 30 homes.

The approval comes despite 89 letters of objection from residents concerned about road safety and the impact on a conservation area.

A planning report to Leeds City Council said villas at the site had deteriorated to the point where significant investment was needed.

Joe Foster, of Far Headingley Village Society, said his group broadly supported the scheme but wanted a planned loop road and parking spaces which cut through gardens at the site to be dropped.

Speaking at the South and West plans panel meeting, he said: "The existing woodlands and terrace garden at the front of the building are cherished landscapes."

Architect Colin Briggs-Campbell said the scheme, proposed by Stephen Sadler Planning Ltd, would provide much-needed housing for the city.

When asked about the parking spaces, he said: "There's no other place that is appropriate and sensible for the required parking."

The scheme would see parts of the site knocked down and extensions added to existing buildings, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A planning report said: "The site has been vacant for a significant period of time and the buildings have been subject to vandalism."

The panel's decision means the application is delegated to the council's chief planning officer for approval, subject to conditions.

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