Aire Place Mills Leeds
An application has been submitted to Leeds City Council to determine if prior approval is required for the complete demolition of Aire Place Mills in Leeds under Permitted Development Rights. Several of the buildings which make up the large mill complex date to the late nineteenth century and, combined with the other buildings on site, form an important part of the industrial heritage of Leeds. The site lies on the edge of the River Aire and contains multiple buildings of historic interest which tell the history of the site and the wealth that Leeds experienced within the latter half of the Victorian period. At present, several of the buildings are in use by independent organisations and social enterprises who make a positive contribution to the local community and the wider city.
Permitted Development Rights enable the demolition of buildings, which are neither listed or within a Conservation Area, without the need for planning permission. This puts a large number of historic, unlisted buildings at risk and more needs to be done to ensure their protection. Earlier this year our campaign for amendments to the current law to remove Permitted Development Rights for demolition led to a Government consultation. Since the consultation ended in the Spring there has been no news as to whether the Government will reform the law that allows buildings to be demolished, without the opportunity for local people to have their say on proposals. We appeal to Angela Rayner, the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to urgently implement change to stop this destruction.
This application is another example of the barrier Permitted Development Rights create in safeguarding the historic built environment and the urgent need for change. The Victorian Society opposes the demolition of these buildings which make a positive contribution to the industrial heritage of Leeds, and calls for those of heritage value to be retained and reused.
Aire Place Mills in Leeds
