Is shopping centre a sustainable future for Leamington?

Developer Wilson Bowden last week submitted revised designs for the 21,500sq m arcade, which would include 35 to 40 shops and 512 parking spaces on the site of the current Chandos Street car park.

The developer said refinements addressed concerns over traffic and fitting in with the town’s architecture, but while some who contacted the Courier on social networking site Twitter were happy, many who sent letters and emails still have doubts.

Leamington Society chairman Richard Ashworth said there was “no significant change” and questioned whether Warwick District Council, which originally mooted the new centre, could make an impartial decision.

Mr Ashworth said the scheme had no longer complied with early plans stating it should be in harmony with the town and compared it to a “huge warehouse” looming over surrounding streets.

He contrasted the “spacious and well-lit” Royal Priors shopping centre with the “narrow” Clarendon Mall dominated by “slabs” of car park space.

And he warned the shopping centre could wipe out evening trade, questioning job creation figures by pointing out businesses would close or move if it was built.

Mr Ashworth added: “This plan was dreamt up in a recent past when it was assumed we could generate prosperity by ever increasing shopping, funded by credit card. The last year or two have shown that fantasy to be unsustainable.”

St Mary’s Crescent resident Prof Chris Duke questioned the need to compete with Stratford and Solihull. And despite avowals that chains wanted modern, flexible premises, Liz Townsend, of Avenue Road, said more effort should be put into regenerating empty shops.

Robert Ross of Ashford Gardens, Whitnash, said shops were “doomed” without footfall and suggested reviewing weekend parking charges to compete with out-of-town shopping centres.

Wilson Bowden planning director David Ward said “fundamental” amendments had been made to plans for the centre, which he stressed was naturally ventilated and naturally lit and designed with “specific respect” for the town.

He added the plans were consistent with policies which sought to ensure the long-term economic, social and environmental well-being of the town.

The council’s economic development and regeneration manager Joseph Baconnet said the authority followed accepted principles of separating its planning control and economic development roles.