MP issues urgent call for council leader to pause ‘imminent sale’ of its HQ in Leamington

Leamington MP Matt Western has issued an urgent call for Warwick District Council’s leader to halt ‘the imminent sale’ of the authority’s headquarters in the town.

Mr Western has revealed that the council (WDC) has made the decision to sell Riverside House in Milverton Hill by the end of the month and that this has ‘taken him by surprise’ and ‘would be equally surprising to the public’.

The MP has said he understands that the plans were considered by the WDC’s cabinet in February, when the authority was under the Conservative-led leadership of Councillor Andrew Day but have not been formally considered by the new administration since the change in leadership in May after the local elections.

Mr Western has raised this perceived ‘lack of consultation’ around the plans in his letter to its new leader Councillor Ian Davison (Green, Leamington Brunswick).

A development brief for the site was consulted on back in 2021 but a final plan that involves the sale of the site has not been consulted on, Mr Western said.

In the letter, Matt Western has called on Councillor Davison to provide clarity on what alternative options were considered for the Riverside House site and why these were decided against, including the option of renting out the space as commercial office premises or retaining the land for 100 per cent council housing let at social rents.

It is understood that if the site is sold for housing development, just 25 out of 100 units will be designated for social rent which Mr Western says ‘falls short of addressing the acute housing pressures faced by Warwick District residents’.

He has pointed out that Warwick district has one of the highest ratios of earnings to average house price in the country, sitting at over ten times the average earnings.

Currently, around 1,500 families are on WDC’s housing waiting list.

He has called on Councillor Davison to consider retaining the land for 100 per cent social rent council housing to address the ‘housing emergency’.

In the letter, Mr Western said: “I know this revelation about the imminent sale of Riverside House will shock so many residents who

will be hearing about this for the first time.

“I am deeply concerned by these plans and do not believe it is in the best interests of people across Warwick, Leamington, Whitnash and the surrounding villages.

"Councillor Davison should pause these plans and open discussions for a consultation so the public can have their say on what this site should be used for.”

Cllr Davison and WDC have responded to Mr Western’s letter suggesting any delays in the sale of Riverside House or the plans to develop on the site could put the project and risk and be a waste of taxpayers’ money

Cllr Davison said: “As Matt Western will be aware Warwick District Council has been planning to move out or our current office at Riverside House for some years.

"Since the pandemic and the adoption of remote and agile ways of working by our staff, it is no longer financially viable or sensible for us to remain at Riverside House.

“The Council will therefore be vacating Riverside House and moving our office space to Saltisford in Warwick, where a lease will be taken with Warwickshire County Council for use of part of the Saltisford 1 building.

“This will save around £250,000 per year.

“The council undertook a ten-week consultation from July to October 2021 on the development brief for the Riverside House site.

“The consultation included sessions with town centre groups, including Leamington Town Council, Clean Air Leamington, BID Leamington, Leamington Chamber of Commerce and members of the public including nearby residents.

“An online survey requested feedback on key points of the brief [which was] also made available at Leamington Town Hall and the Royal Pump Rooms.

“Overall, the survey results indicated that 67 per cent of the public supported the development of the site.

“The Milverton Hill site is complex to develop sensitively due to the flood plain, underground stream, and magnificent trees.

"Homes England is looking to buy the site, which is good news as it is a public body that develops difficult sites for housing.

"They will undertake a community consultation before submitting a planning application so local people can have an input.

"I am delighted that Homes England are committed to 40 per cent affordable housing, which is desperately needed locally, whilst enabling the council to save a quarter of a million pounds each year by moving into smaller offices.

“Any delays incurred at this stage would seriously risk the whole process and be a massive waste of tax payers' money.”