HEART Playground

You may have noticed that we have had to take two actions with regard to the use of HEART.   The first is that the playground has been returned to its sole use as a car park.  The second is that we can no longer hold live music events outdoors. 

These changes, which we very much hope will be short term, have been made with great sadness.  The reason for them is that on 15 June, HEART received a Planning Enforcement Case letter from Leeds City Council.  This stated that the Council “had received a complaint about the changes to the car park which appear to have occurred over the past year or so”.  It notes, further, that there have also been “complaints that activities are taking place outside the centre which involve amplified music and sound which is contrary to the original planning approval”. 

Of course, we are not in the business of deliberately flouting rules and we are investigating options to remove the relevant planning conditions in place since HEART opened.  Until that becomes possible – assuming it does – we will be complying with the enforcement letter.  But it may be we have got users’ views completely wrong, and that there is an appetite for the full car-park to come back into use.  We would like to know what you think. 

Over the coming weeks we will be providing various opportunities for you to have your say including  at the HDT stand at the Farmer’s Market, the HDT newsletter, a survey of HEART users and the “postcards from the future” that you will be seeing around HEART shortly.

In the meantime if you have any immediate comments please get in touch at  ideas@alanbeswick

Please tell us what you think. Completing the short survey here would provide valuable evidence to guide our thinking in our response to the Council. Thank you!

The Boards of HDT and HEART