Plans to transform a Kenilworth car park into accommodation and shops have been submitted

Cobalt Estates has submitted an application to Warwick District Council to build 44 residential flats across four storeys, with two new retail units on the ground floor, on the site of Talisman Shopping Centre’s car park.

The plans are a tweak of a previous scheme to build a 105-flat student accommodation block and retail units on the old car park, which was given planning permission by Warwick District Council in 2016.

These plans were later altered and permission to build 121 flats for students were approved by the council’s planning committee in January 2018.

But the work was delayed and the building project was never started.

The town council had objected to the scheme, as did several residents living near the site.

Their concerns included loss of light to nearby buildings and a loss of space in Talisman Square with it becoming more like a ‘narrow alley or corridor’.

This current application is for a slightly smaller building and is for the general residential market rather than students. It also features two retail units instead of the five in the previous scheme.

An in-person update on the plans held by Cobalt Estates at the end of May helped form the final planning application.

Hugo Hawkings, chief executive of Discovery Properties, said the application shows commitment to continued investment in Talisman Shopping Centre.

He added: “We are really pleased to submit these plans for what we believe to be the final piece of development of the centre. We believe bringing residential dwellings into the heart of the scheme will add life to the centre particularly outside the usual trading hours.”

“It has been a long time coming, but due to things moving very quickly in commercial property and the challenges brought about by the pandemic, we are pleased the new plans have now gone in.

“If our application is successful, we would look to start construction within a year of gaining consent and the scheme will take about 18 months to construct.

“We are also looking forward to helping exciting new businesses move into the two new retail class E units created by this development.”