Plan for Leamington park's car park is cause for concern

Almost 100 objections have now been made to plans to increase the number of spaces at one of Victoria Park's car parks and to introduce charges for people to use it.
The red line marks the land on which Warwick District Council wants to expand the Archery Road car park at Victoria Park in Leamington.The red line marks the land on which Warwick District Council wants to expand the Archery Road car park at Victoria Park in Leamington.
The red line marks the land on which Warwick District Council wants to expand the Archery Road car park at Victoria Park in Leamington.

As we reported in late August, developers Pick Everard, on behalf of Warwick District Council, has submitted a plan to create 64 car park spaces plus two disabled spaces by painting new lines at the Archery Road car park attached to Victoria Park in Leamington. The authority wants to increase the spaces part of its car parking displacement strategy when the Covent Garden multi-storey and surface site is planned to close for redevelopment in January 2019.

But to maximise the spaces available, trees on the west side of the Archery Road site would be cut down.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And a charge of £1 for those wishing to park for up to 24 hours past the free first three hours will be put in place.

Now, the plans have received a raft of objections from groups, organisations and individuals including The Friends of Victoria Park; Leamington Town Counci;, district councillors Colin Quinney, Christie Naimo and Jill Barker; Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western; and Bowls England - which hosts the National Bowls Championships at the park.

Tony Allcock MBE, the chief executive of Bowls England, said: “We have previously raised concerns that the area is being used by commuters/town centre workers, and the application and surrounding publicity is already having a further negative impact on parking both in Archery Road and in the Old Tennis Courts.

“If the plans are passed we are very concerned that this will result in serious parking issues for all public users of Victoria Park, including members/visitors of Royal Leamington Spa BC and players/spectators attending Bowls England organised events.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We would urge Warwick District Council to give further thought to this application and its potential impact on behalf of all users of Victoria Park.”

The Tree Warden Training Group is also objecting to the plans on grounds of the loss of the trees.

Group member Ann Wilson said: “We valued the trees to be lost, affected or damaged at £240,000.

“We also believe that their loss will have a huge negative impact on Victoria Park and residents of Archery Road.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The planning documents can be viewed by searching for reference W/18/1551 at the website https://planningdocuments.warwickdc.gov.uk/online-applications.

The plans are due to go before a council committee this month.