Agenda item

To consider the report of the Assistant Director City Development.

The Principal Project Manager (Development) (HS) presented the application for reserved matter details of the layout, scale, appearance of the buildings, the means of access thereto and the landscaping relating to St Sidwell's Point Leisure Centre (Parcel L).

The application was for the reserved matters of Access, Appearance, Landscaping, Layout and Scale, outline planning permission having been granted by the Council on 20 January 2016. Further applications for reserved matters in respect of P (Paris Street) and C (Commercial uses) would be considered separately and these were anticipated to be received shortly.

He confirmed that the landscaping provision in the front of the Leisure Centre would include wildflower planting to enhance the biodiversity of the site and complement the Exeter Wild City initiative.

Mr Bryant spoke in support of the application. He raised the following points:-

• the Leisure Centre has a gross internal floor area of 6,100m² which is within the outline approval requirement for leisure centre use. The mass steps up from Paris Street moving north as identified in the approved parameters plans and the pitched roofs don’t exceed the levels at each step identified in the outline approval. It is two stories tall to Paris Street maximum datum height 53.6m and three stories to the new pedestrian street maximum datum height 62.3m; both within the approved parameters; 
• the leisure centre is designed to passive house energy standards that are far higher than best practice and the BREEAM energy requirements identified in CP15; minimising energy loss whilst maximising solar gain are identified in DG2, both are central to the passive house approach. The leisure centre is designed to facilitate connection to a future district heating system when it becomes available as identified in CP13;
• the leisure centre is at a strategic city gateway and therefore accorded particular significance in the bus station supplementary planning guidance, plus in CP17, which sets out the quality of design expected. In response to the specific location, the design steps up from the Paris Street roundabout in a similar way to the wider streetscape reducing the immediate bulk against the footpath whereas the distant views from the top of Heavitree Road show the whole building, in line with the strategic nature of the gateway site;
• the design helps repair the existing urban fabric on this important approach into the city with particular emphasis on the gateway quality of the site and studies are included in the application showing the positive urban impact of the development from the surrounding streets. The use of a number of different materials and a strong articulated building form ensures that these views retain interest and that there is a hierarchy of scale through the use of materials of differing modules and texture. This palate picks up on the Princesshay west development closest to the cathedral;
• large areas of glazing provide highly active façades to Heavitree Road and Paris Street, plus to the new retail development and bus station. These glazed areas act as shop windows for the activities inside encouraging participation and integration with the wider community; in line with the objectives of CP17 to encourage social interaction and ensure a positive experience for users and the general public;
• the use of high quality materials, standard of design and environmental credentials highlight how the scheme will be the jewel in Exeter’s crown; and
• the proposed leisure centre sets a high standard of design and quality as should be expected at this important approach into the city, to reflect the civic nature of the new facility and ensure that the new centre becomes the focus for fitness for Exeter district.

The recommendation was for approval subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

Commenting on the quality of the range of services within the Centre, the adoption of high environmental performance standards for the building including Passivhaus Standard and Building Biology IBN best practice guidance in healthy design, Members welcomed the detailed plans for the Leisure Centre, which, it was felt, offered an iconic building which would greatly enhance both the Leisure offer and built environment of the City Centre. Members also remarked that its location in the centre was an accessible, practical solution to replacing the now, unfit for purpose Pyramids pool and was of benefit to those living within the area without private transport as well as those elsewhere in and outside Exeter because of its proximity to transport hubs.

RESOLVED that, subject to prior consultation with the Chair of this Committee,  the Assistant Director City Development be authorised to APPROVE the reserved matters details of the layout, scale, appearance of the buildings, the means of access thereto and the landscaping relating to St Sidwell's Point Leisure Centre (Parcel L) subject to the following conditions:-