Plans for hotel at Warwick Castle recommended for approval

Plans that would see a 60-bed hotel built at Warwick Castle have been recommended for approval.

In December 2021, Warwick Castle announced its plans for a hotel had resurfaced - with it previously being mentioned in its masterplan for the site in 2019.

An application was officially submitted in January to Warwick District Council, which if given the go ahead, would see the hotel built in bay nine/10 of the main Stratford Road car park.

The plans also include an extension to the current Knight’s Village restaurant so that it would also provide food for the hotel.

The castle also plans to build an elevated walkway to connect the hotel with the restaurant.

Initially the plans were due to go before Warwick District Council’s planning committee tonight (April 26) but this has now been moved to the planning meeting being held on May 4.

There are more than 90 objection comments to the plans on the planning portal.

Reasons for objection include: concerns with over-developing the site, that the hotel is not needed, concerns about damaging the sites’ heritage and concerns about noise and air pollution.

There are also around 13 comments in support of the plans – including from Warwick Town Council and Warwick Chamber of Trade.

To view the plans or to make a comment search: W/22/0140 on Warwick District Council's planning portal.

Last month, controversial plans to move Warwick Castle’s overflow car park were approved.

Prior to going before the planning committee, the plans been recommended for approval by council officers but had also received more than 120 objections.

Reasons for objections included: potential disruption to wildlife, noise and pollution.

The castle's current overflow car park, known as Leafields, is used when the Stratford Road and Stables car parks are full. The approval of the move will see the existing site on the banks of the River Avon returned to pasture and an adjacent field away from the flood plain utilised with up to 1,200 cars parking there.