Major 640-home plan for Kenilworth objected to by town council

Plans for one of the biggest housing developments Kenilworth for many years has been objected to by the town council.
What the layout of the new development could look like. The plan is for outline permission only, so the layout of houses would be agreed later. Copyright: Catesby EstatesWhat the layout of the new development could look like. The plan is for outline permission only, so the layout of houses would be agreed later. Copyright: Catesby Estates
What the layout of the new development could look like. The plan is for outline permission only, so the layout of houses would be agreed later. Copyright: Catesby Estates

Developers Catesby Estates want to build up to 640 houses on land between the A46, Crewe Lane and the northern section of Glasshouse Lane. It will be next to Southcrest Farm where Kenilworth School and Sixth Form plan to move.

The homes are coming as part of Warwick District Council's Local Plan, which was formally adopted last year.

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Catesby Estates submitted an outline plan to the district council in August. If granted, everything apart from access into the site is only agreed in principle. A further detailed application would be needed before the homes could be built.

But at a meeting on Thursday November 15, Kenilworth Town Council's planning committee voiced their concerns over the outline plan.

They claimed the application was being made too soon, as a masterplan for the land being drawn up by the district council to help control the development further has not been finalised yet.

They also said the plan did not link well with other planned developments, such as with the new school site and the 760-home and employment land site at Thickthorn which was identified in the Local Plan.

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Catesby Estates were criticised for not taking into account that homes could be built on Southcrest Farm's land in their plan. The Local Plan identified Southcrest Farm as well as the rest of the land as being suitable for 640 homes, rather than just where Catesby Estates want to build.

And finally, the town council claimed Catesby's traffic assessment did not take into account the potential impact of the new school and homes on Southcrest Farm.

A town council spokesman added: "If this outline planning application is approved, then any conditions set should have clear and explicit regard to the Kenilworth Neighbourhood Plan (which was adopted last week)."

Catesby Estates have said 40 per cent of the homes planned, or 256 of them, will be 'affordable', meaning below market value.

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Out of the 384 homes which will be sold at market value, 10 will be one-bed, 70 will be two-bed, 198 will be three-bed and 106 will be four-bed or more.

And out of the affordable homes, 58 will be one-bed, 124 will be two-bed, 67 will be three-bed and seven will be four-bed or more.

The site would be accessed via a new roundabout on Glasshouse Lane next to the junction with Stansfield Grove, and a new road onto the site from Crewe Lane. A spine road will link the two entrances.

It is not yet known when Warwick District Council's planning committee will make a decision on the plans.

But if the application is approved, Catesby Estates believe builders could start work in late 2019, with first residents taking occupation in 2020.