Major 212 homes plan for Leamington's gateway

The redevelopment of the 300-space site behind the railway was given the go-ahead in November with a start date now announced as October 2016.

But the site will not be complete until at least 2021 and include several relocations and closures as building work goes ahead.

The major transformation hopes to improve the appearance and character of the area as the gateway into Leamington.

Once complete, the new estate will be made up of 118 flats and 94 houses, 75 per cent of which will be affordable.

The space will include a new council owned 100-space car park and cyclepath improvements into the station from the underpass off Avenue Road.

A new pedestrian route from Station Approach to Lower Avenue and Park Drive will also be created.

The Stagecoach bus depot which will be relocated to Tachbrook Industrial Estate and the underpass will be closed for up to a year while building work is carried out.

The project, being led by Warwick District Council, will be managed by Waterloo Homes Group in what was described as a great step forward to improve the area.

Council leader, Andrew Mobbs, said: “The start on site of this regeneration marks the culmination of several years of work by the council and our partners.

“The involvement of Waterloo Housing was critical to this, and we are delighted that they are leading on a proposal to introduce a significant number of new homes into the heart of Leamington, many of which will be affordable.

“This council is committed to getting brown field sites brought back into use wherever possible, and this is a great opportunity to do this in a way which will lift this vitally important part of the town.”

A replacement car park is expected to be created in partnership with Chiltern Railways in the former Travis Perkins site, and it has been confirmed that during construction of the new housing, at least half of the existing car park will remain open for parking for as long as possible.

The site will be managed by Waterloo Housing Group which bought the site in 2013.

It is estimated that the works will take between four and five years to complete and will start at the eastern end closest to the footpath and underpass will be the first to be built on.

The footpath will be kept with improved lighting, and is expected to be closed for between nine and 12 months for safety reasons.