Fears that ‘landmark’ office is a long way off

Developers of the former Leamington Ford Foundry site have sought to allay fears that it may be years before their ‘landmark’ office building goes up.

Leamington Town Council fears that while Trilogy Developments has submitted detailed plans for a supermarket on the site, it is only seeking outline permission for its main office development, meaning it may be some time before the office block is built.

Trilogy, which owns the site, has a contractual arrangement with Morrisons to buy the site when it receives planning permission, with the supermarket underwriting demolition and decontamination on the industrial land.

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Cllr Simon Wheeler (Lib Dem, Leamington Manor) said: “There is a serious danger that this development may take a very long time to appear.

“We don’t doubt the good intentions of the developer but in the current economic climate it’s possible the rest may wait a long time.”

The Environment Agency has also objected to the plans, citing a danger of flooding in the car park of the proposed supermarket.

Public consultation ended this week. Many residents have supported the plans, but some had doubts about its effect on traffic, echoing concerns raised by Cycleways.

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A spokesman for Trilogy Developments said it had not submitted detailed application for the offices as they would need to be altered to suit a future occupier, and the firm was confident its “iconic” design would attract interest.

He said the detailed application already included the infrastructure required for the offices, food store and access to the green triangle. Trilogy’s flood risk assessment met Environment Agency standards, he added, and all but one of Cycleways concerns had been dealt with.

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