Plans to demolish former Kenilworth hotel to make way for 55 homes rejected by councillors

Plans that would see a conference centre in Kenilworth demolished to make way for 55 homes have been rejected by councillors.

On December 14, plans for to turn the former Woodside Hotel and Conference Centre off Glasshouse Lane into homes were put before councillors on Warwick District Council’s planning committee.

Prior to the meeting planning officers had recommended for the plans for approval, despite 25 objections from the public, as well as objections from Sir Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam and Kenilworth Town Council.

Concerns raised in the objections included the loss of a heritage asset, wanting to convert the building instead, lack of a need for more homes and loss of trees and wildlife.

However, the housing plans were rejected “on the grounds that the sustainability of the proposed dwellings did not comply with the Net Zero DPD which will be adopted imminently.”

The hotel and conference centre had fallen into disuse since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in March 2020 and during that time, the business went into administration and a potential operator to continue the business could not be found.

The site is made up of the “original house known as ‘Woodside’ (originally ‘Glass House’), a historic stables range and a number of later 20th century additions and sits in an area allocated for housing and is surrounded by an existing housing site that has been approved for 620 homes.