Stonewood Almshouse Hill Bramham Wetherby LS23 6QX

1. 1.The proposed works, through their design, scale, form, siting and detailing, as well as the proposed change of use of woodland and the removal of historic and characterful boundary treatments, are considered to result in less than substantial harm to the special character of the Bramham Conservation Area and the setting of the Grade II listed Merrion House 110 Merrion Centre Leeds LS2 8BB Town and Country Planning Act 1990 memorial. There are considered to be no public benefits that outweigh the harms identified as required by Chapter 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework (as amended). The development proposal is also considered to be contrary to Core Strategy (as amended 2019) policies P10, P11, P12, Saved UDP (2006) policies GP5, N19, N20, and LD1, policies NE2, H3, and H5 of the Neighbourhood Plan, policy HDG1 of the Householder Design Guide, and guidance within the National Planning Policy Framework (as amended) regarding design and conserving the historic environment.
2. 2.The Local Planning Authority considers that the proposal, by reason of the applicant's failure to demonstrate that appropriate visibility and manoeuvrability can be achieved, together with insufficient detail in respect of structural engineering above the highway and the inappropriate relocation of street lighting, would result in dangerous manoeuvres. This would increase the likelihood of collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians and street furniture, as well as lead to the erosion of an open grass verge. The proposal is therefore harmful to highway safety and fails to comply with the Council's accessibility standards, contrary to the wider aims and objectives of policies P10 and T2 of the Core Strategy, saved policy GP5 of the Unitary Development Plan, guidance contained within the Council's Transport SPD, and the National Planning Policy Framework (as amended).
3. 3.The Local Planning Authority considers that the proposal, by reason of the proposed reuse of the land, ground levelling, and the erection of rear decking within an area of existing woodland containing mature trees in close proximity to the works, would result in significant pressure on, and likely severe harm to, if not the total loss of, protected trees. This would be to the detriment of their positive contributions to amenity and climate change, and would also cause less than substantial harm to the character of the Bramham Conservation Area. As such, the proposal is harmful to local character and undermines wider climate change and air quality objectives. The proposal is therefore contrary to the wider aims and objectives of policies SP13, P10, P11 and P12 of the Core Strategy (as amended 2019), saved policies GP5, N19, N20 and LD1 of the Unitary Development Plan (2006), policy LAND2 of the Natural Resources and Waste DPD (as amended 2015), and the National Planning Policy Framework (as amended).
4. 4.The Local Planning Authority considers that the proposed development would, by reason of the partial loss of on-site woodland and grassland, together with harm to, or the potential loss of, mature trees within the site, and in the absence of a supporting biodiversity net gain metric or mitigation strategy, result in a significant loss of biodiversity. Given the limited space within the site for replacement planting, and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the applicant has failed to demonstrate that biodiversity net gain can be achieved. As such, the proposal fails to demonstrate compliance with mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain legislation and must be refused. The proposal is therefore also contrary to the aims and objectives of Core Strategy (as amended 2019) Policy G9 and Merrion House 110 Merrion Centre Leeds LS2 8BB Town and Country Planning Act 1990 guidance within the National Planning Policy Framework (as amended) in respect of conserving and enhancing the natural environment.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

LS23 6QX

Application type

Full Planning Application

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Bramham-cum-Oglethorpe Parish Council

Date validated

19 March 2026

Consultation expiry

10 April 2026

Consultation start

24 March 2026

Neighbour consultation start

24 March 2026

Last date for comments

1 May 2026

Target decision date

14 May 2026

Agent address

Mr Aaron Casey 7 Unity Street Carlton Wakefield WF3 3RA United Kingdom

Statutory period

56 days

Last advertised

10 April 2026

Documents

17