Council Leader says public exhibition for new Leamington HQ plans was '˜extremely worthwhile'

Last Friday and Saturday Warwick District Council held a public exhibition about their plans for a new headquarters, a new car park and new housing at the Royal Priors shopping centre.

According to the council hundreds of people attended the exhibition.

When the exhibition was launches, Andrew Mobbs, Leader of Warwick District Council and Duncan Ellio, project manager were met with a crowd of angry residents and protesters.

A spokesperson from Warwick District Council said: “It was unfortunate that the first hour on Friday was dominated by a protest that did not encourage meaningful dialogue but what followed was a series of one to one debates, with questions asked, issues raised and a genuine dialogue between officers, Councillors and the public. Cllr Andrew Mobbs said:“We achieved our purpose as part of our ongoing consultation process in that many shoppers and passers-by were able to gain the true facts behind this project.

“The opportunity to dispel some of the myths was encouraging – for instance many people thought that we were just getting rid of the car park at Covent Garden and did not realise that a new, fit for purpose, larger car park would be built in its place.

“I take on board that we need to ensure that we communicate the facts to local people and businesses, so that such misinformation does not cause distress and misunderstandings in the future.

“I recognise that genuine concerns have been raised and I am also grateful for the many positive comments received.

“This feedback will give us a clear focus and it is my intention that we continue to communicate to all in the district.

“To this end, we will be publishing the comments received in full on our website along with our responses.

“Finally, may I thank all those that attended and acted with courtesy and good grace in our discussions. I found the experience extremely worthwhile.”