Work under way to put seven homes on site of legendary Crazy Daisy's between Rugby and Coventry

The former Crazy Daisy's at Stretton-on-Dunsmore suffered two devastating fires in the years following its closure as a Chinese restaurant.

In years to come, few people travelling along the A45 at Stretton-on-Dunsmore, past a smart development of seven detached homes, will have any idea that the site was once home to a legendary nightclub.

Nights out at Crazy Daisy’s – the former Dun Cow pub – will live on on the memory of those who were there from the Coventry and Warwickshire area and beyond.

But the socialising will be very different when the new homes, set to have five or six bedrooms, are finished.

After its glory years as a nightclub, it ran as the Riverside Cantonese restaurant and then Goji – with an almost famous plastic palm tree that lit up – before closing for good. Then came two fires and the unavoidable demolition.

A view of the building following closure as a Chinese restaurant. In its life after Crazy Daisy's, it attracted attention for its light-up plastic palm tree, still in place on the left of this photo. Image: Google Street View.

Covid delayed the start of work on the housing plan but permission was confirmed again by Rugby Borough Council in November 2021.

At that point a planning officer told councillors the development would normally be inappropriate in the green belt but in this instance there were reasons why the plans could be approved.

She said: “While it would harm the openness of the green belt and in a location where occupiers would be reliant on the private car, it is considered that ‘very special’ circumstances exist in this case to outweigh the identified harm.

“These very special circumstances include the previous planning permission for the development of the site, the former use of the site, existing ground contamination which requires mitigation and the dangerous and unsightly condition of the site following fire damage and demolition of the building.

“It is therefore considered, on balance, considering all the points outlined in this report that the proposed development is acceptable.”

Cllr Tim Willis (Con, Wolston and the Lawfords) added: “This site is a gateway into the ward of Wolston and the Lawfords. It has been unsightly for many years and has attracted the most unfortunate behaviours on the site.”

Councillors unanimously backed the scheme which will see the homes access the side road – Stretton Road – rather than the main A45.

Work started last month and a further application is now with Rugby Borough Council – R22/1181 – seeking to sign off the details of the plans for remediation of the site and the construction phase health and safety documentation.