Travelodge and BMW dealership could be built between Warwick and Leamington

The plans, which have been submitted by Opus Land LLP and Dealership Developments Limited, would see a 100-bed hotel and a new car dealership with MOT facilities built on land north of Gallows Hill.

Neighbouring the west of the site is the Warwick Technology Park, which includes IBM UK, Siemens ITCL and National Grid.

The application is one of the projects in the community stadium project masterplan to develop land between the two towns, which would also see more than 1,000 homes built, new primary and secondary schools and a community stadium.

The masterplan for Europa Way and the Community Stadium was approved by Warwick District Council in November 2018.

Plans for a hotel and a new car dealership were included in the masterplan but this is the first time that plans have come forward detailing the specifics and the names lined up to go onto the site.

If given the go ahead there would be a redevelopment of the western part of the site for the dealership, which would include: MOT and servicing facilities, office space, staff facilities, car display areas and storage areas.

According to the plans the car dealership would be occupied by Rybrook BMW, which is currently located on the Heathcote industrial estate. The dealership would be relocating to this new site, which would be a bigger site.

There would be 57 customer parking, including two disabled and four electric charging and eight motorcycle spaces. There would also be 28 spaces for members of staff.

Next to the proposed dealership would be the 100-bed hotel, which would be four storeys height with a cafe and bar on the ground floor.

In the planning documents it says that the developer has 'been in discussions' with a number of hotel operators and that they have now 'secured Travelodge' as the chosen operator.

According to the application there would be 84 parking spaces for the hotel.

It is anticipated that the hotel would provide around 28 jobs with eight of these expected to be eight full-time and 20 part-time.

The site access for both the car dealership and the hotel would be to the north of the site on a shared entrance road. The new access road would feed off from the new spine road, which will connect the development to Gallows Hill.

The developer has also said that there would a landscape buffer of trees to mitigate the impact of the plans on the Grade II-listed Heathcote Hill Farm, which is around 150 metres north of the site’s northern boundary.

To view the plans or to comment on the plans go to Warwick District Council's planning portal and search: W/19/1666