Leeds apartment block plans approved by single vote

The new apartment blocks are to be built on the car park adjacent to Whitehall Waterfront in Leeds

Plans for two new city centre tower blocks in Leeds have been approved by a single vote.

Developer Glenbrook is now set to build the 16 and 19-storey buildings near the city's railway station on Whitehall Road.

Residents in neighbouring flats had objected, saying the flats would overshadow their own homes.

Councillors said they "begrudgingly" backed the plans after raising concerns about the community impact.

The planning committee was told the application complied with council policies.

Glenbrook recently agreed to designate some of the flats as "affordable housing" and install play equipment in the green space that will be created as part of the scheme.

Those adjustments were made following criticism from councillors at a meeting last month.

Residents of the neighbouring flats said the development would overshadow their homes

But, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), concerns remained about the mix of housing on the site, with many elected members concerned that only 10% of the apartments would be three-bed homes, while more than half would be one-beds.

Independent councillor Robert Finnigan said: "We know that, in terms of creating cohesive communities, if you have too many one-beds, then you get a revolving community and you get turnover that undermines that sense of community. How we can create cohesive communities by accepting this development is totally and utterly beyond me."

Labour councillor Peter Carlill said he too was unhappy with several aspects of the application, but he predicted that if the development was rejected, it would probably be overturned on appeal, which would cost the council legal fees.

Mr Carlill added: "It's not a development I'm particularly proud to support, but it's one where I think the only thing we probably can do is begrudgingly support it and then work on the policies to make them stronger and neater going forwards."