Group formed to 'bring a new era' to Leamington town centre

Councillors from all tiers of local government have met for the first time to form a group which will 'bring a new era' to Leamington town centre.

The cross-party Royal Leamington Spa Town Centre Transformation Board held its inaugural meeting earlier this month.

The group, made up of eight councillors, will be meeting regularly to oversee the preparation of a transformation framework for the town centre, with the aim of co-ordinating new development programmes, projects, funding bids and regeneration schemes for the area.

An advisory group consisting of key town centre organisations and representatives is being formed to provide regular insights and inputs to the board from their areas of expertise including business and commerce, property development, transport, education, arts, heritage, charities and not-for-profit organisations and the environment.

The leader of Warwick District Council, Councillor Andrew Day, said: “Royal Leamington Spa has an illustrious history, making the most of opportunities born out of the challenges created by change.

"Today once again, our beautiful town needs to evolve thanks to the pandemic and a revolution in our shopping preferences, which when combined with the benefits of new technologies, offer an exciting moment to renew our town centre. "

“Drawing together and putting the transformation framework in place, fresh leadership is impatient to apply key skills and decision-making ability to execute a clear plan for the future.

"Keen to embrace the needs and aspirations of all sectors of the community, the ambition is to make Leamington a desirable place to meet, recreate and celebrate our vibrant community life.”

Councillor Susan Rasmussen, the mayor of Leamington, added: "Councillor Day is right - we have a once-in-a-generation chance to make a significant impact on the future of our town.

"We must respond to global trends in the ways that people live and work in towns and cities.

"We have long needed a Leamington-focused approach to tackle all the changes that are coming our way and take advantage of the many opportunities that are evident; the transformation framework gives us that.”

The Royal Leamington Spa Transformation Board is seeking to appoint an independent chairperson to ensure that the board meets the highest standards of output and excellence in governance and scrutiny.

The chairperson will be appointed by Warwick District Council with agreement from other board members.

Prospective candidates should demonstrate a strong commitment to the town and expertise in town centre regeneration.

Those interested in applying for the role of independent chairperson can contact [email protected] for further information.