Decision to be made on plans for homes on Warwickshire Police HQ site near Leamington

A decision will be made this week on plans to build a housing estate on land at the Warwickshire Police Headquarters near Leamington.

Warwick District Council’s planning officers have recommended that the outline planning application to build up to 83 new houses on the land in Woodcote Lane, Leek Wootton, are approved by the authority’s planning committee when it meets at Leamington Town Hall tomorrow evening from 6pm.

Cala Homes wants to build the houses along with internal roads and footpaths, car parking, public open space, landscaping, drainage and other associated works and infrastructure, on two parts of the site known as The Paddocks and The Old Tennis Court.

Members of the Leek Wootton Focus Group (LWFG) have campaigned against the time for some time and have set up an online fund with the aim of raising £20,000 to cover the legal costs of opposing the development.

The total amount raised now stands at more than £10,000.

The group has said: “LWFG are not opposed in principle to new housing.

"We are more than happy to share our beautiful village with more residents.

"However, we strongly oppose the planning application to build on the most ecologically and heritage rich part of our village, which will alter its character and appearance as well as Woodcote Lane being too narrow and unsafe for more traffic.”

“The irony is that the proposed site was taken out of the Green Belt in 2016 on the basis of Warwickshire Police were vacating the site and that as a result of selling the entire site, the ugly 1960's police buildings choking the Manor House would be removed; there would be restoration of Woodcote House, a Grade Listed II building with historic assets restored and there would be more community access.

“But Warwickshire Police remain in occupation and as a result there will be no restoration of the site at all.

"There will be none of the benefits we were told would happen in 2016 and which formed part of the Local Plan.”

For more about the application search for W22/1877 on Warwick District Council’s planning portal.