Stoneleigh Park’s owners are challenged over £50m scheme

LaSalle Investment Management, which took on a 150-year lease of the site last year, plans to invest £50 million over the next ten years to make the 1,000-acre agricultural business park a centre of excellence, with a roundabout at the park’s main entrance in Stoneleigh Road and a second entrance to handle traffic.

But residents feared the benefits of the road improvements would soon be lost as visits to the park increased.

A panel including Dennis Chamberlain, chief executive of owners the Royal Agricultural Society of England, LaSalle director Andrew Bull and Stoneleigh Park estates director faced more than 70 residents in the first meeting since LaSalle took over last December.

Mr Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam, summed up residents’ concerns when he led the questioning asking for confirmation that the organisation’s traffic proposals would solve the likely problems, that plans for the site would be confined to the existing 250-acre core and that new events would be appropriate for the site.

Mr Hooper presented plans for the roundabout and a new entrance onto the B4115 on the far side of the park.

He said the scheme was so far advanced that an extra bridge had already been bought and that the improvements would shift between a third and a half of the current traffic volumes away from Stoneleigh.

But while residents were sympathetic to LaSalle and RASE’s ambitions, they feared that plans to attract more businesses, develop a top-class equine centre and hold more events would mean any benefits would be lost.

Summing up, Jeremy Wright said: “Stoneleigh is a huge potential asset and now, with a top class professional management company involved, prospects are good. But it’s not that simple. The interests of those who live around the site need to be taken into account.

“Villagers should be aware that all the panel members volunteered to take part in this meeting.

“The fact that they are prepared to come and start this dialogue is good news. Points have been made, but this is just the beginning.

“We need to keep the channels of communication open and hopefully everyone will benefit.”