Houses to be built in Leamington road despite concerns over lack of parking

A parking survey used to justify two Leamington houses being built with no off-street parking has been criticised by a councillor who said it covered too wide an area.

Eight members of the public also objected to the plan to build the semi-detached properties in Gulistan Road, many of them flagging up their own parking concerns but members of this week’s Warwick District Council planning committee meeting approved the scheme.

Cllr Bill Gifford (Lib Dem, Leamington Milverton) said: “This doesn’t provide any off street parking at all in an area of considerable parking stress.

They have done surveys but have included the part of Hyde Place that has very little in terms of housing on it and that is on the other side of Warwick Place. I don’t think you should be using Hyde Place.

“There is real stress in Heath Terrace and Union Road when, at times, there are no spaces at all. I would argue that it was those two streets that you need to consider.

“I feel that adding these houses without providing the parking spaces goes against our own policy.”

And those concerns were echoed by Cllr David Norris (Con, Bishop’s Tachbrook) who said: “I do have concerns that the developer is just out to make a few bucks rather than looking at the whole road infrastructure and the exasperated parking issues.

"Surely our policies on parking require so many spaces to be available.”

Planning officer Lucy Hammond said that the developers, O'Sullivan and Lucey, had followed the procedure for the site which previously formed part of the garden to a neighbouring property.

She explained: “Each of those dwellings would normally be expected to provide two parking spaces. When that is not the case then a parking survey is undertaken. Highways are satisfied that there is sufficient parking capacity.”

The plans were approved by the committee with two councillors voting against.

Cllr Terry Morris (Ind, Warwick Saltisford) said: “If we tried to refuse this I think we would be up against all sorts of challenges at appeal.

"Yes it does not meet parking standards but there is a comprehensive parking survey that says there is sufficient parking.”