Thousands of homes still set for Kenilworth after changes to district's Local Plan announced

Thousands of homes are still likely to be built in and around Kenilworth after further changes to the Warwick District Council's Local Plan were announced today (Friday March 17).
Local PlanLocal Plan
Local Plan

While houses will be removed from sites to the south of the district that used to be in the plan, the government’s Planning Inspector suggested no changes were needed to the sites near Kenilworth for the plan to be sound. This also means the proposed move of Kenilworth School is likely to get the go-ahead.

A consultation period on the new changes starts today and runs until Friday May 5.

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Leader of the district council Cllr Andrew Mobbs said: “We are delighted that the Inspector has not suggested changes to the vast majority of the council’s proposals and has indicated that if these modifications are made our Local Plan can be adopted.

“It is vital to our district that this happens as soon as possible, as it will allow the council to put a clear policy framework in place to ensure that the much-needed housing development in our district is of high quality and we can protect our environment and the green belt.

“The adoption of the Local Plan will also put us in a stronger position to resist future development on unallocated sites. I very much hope that residents will take the opportunity to comment on these modifications.”

Within Kenilworth itself, once Kenilworth School and Sixth form moves to its new site at Southcrest Farm, there will be spaces for 250 homes at the current school site off Leyes Lane, and 130 homes at the sixth form site in Rouncil Lane.

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To the north, land at Kings Hill Lane will see 1,800 homes built, with a potential for 4,000 beyond 2029. The site will likely have a new secondary and primary school, health centre and community facilities.

Westwood Heath will have 425 new homes built as well as its own health centre. Ninety homes are set for Burton Green, and 80 houses have been allocated to Baginton on land north of Rosswood Farm.

There are no suggested modifications to the controversial £450 million ‘Coventry Gateway’ proposal to create thousands of jobs on land near Coventry Airport, which is likely go ahead if the Local Plan is adopted because it would no longer be classed as Green Belt. The land’s Green Belt status resulted in a planning application for a technology, manufacturing and logistics hub being thrown out on appeal in 2015.

Land to the east of Kenilworth beyond Crewe Lane has been allocated 640 homes, as well as new community facilities.

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And land near Thickthorn Island will have 760 homes built, along with a new primary school. Kenilworth Cricket Club to the south of the town centre off Warwick Road will have to move to create space for 100 houses.

Finally, the site of Warwickshire Police’s headquarters in Leek Wootton has been earmarked for 115 new homes.

Details of the consultation are online here