A former village school in Baginton could become two houses as councillors look set to give the plans the green light.

The former village school was closed in 1976 and then taken over by the Lucy Price Sunday School Trust.

It lay empty for ten years before being demolished and now Southam-based firm D.F.J. Hewer Ltd has applied to build two houses and a peace garden where it once stood.

The site is next to Grade-I listed St John the Baptist Church on Church Road.

An application for a similar build was withdrawn in April 2021, but Warwick District Council officers have recommended that the new plans be approved.

Whilst Baginton Parish Council has supported the application, seven residents have raised objections questioning the size and design of the two houses.

"The building being replaced was a single story school hall from 1934-2019 which afforded some views of the village church," said Mr Andrew Parkes.

"Erecting two houses, as the site plan shows, removes any of these views.

"The only way to restore something similar to the original views enjoyed by the village would be to erect single story dwellings."

But WDC officers have disagreed, saying: "The application site constitutes previously developed land and the cumulative scale of the proposed development insofar as the massing, footprint, heights etc are concerned would not, in officers' opinion, have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the building which previously occupied the site."

The council's planning committee will discuss the plans next Tuesday.

(Image by Phillip Halling via geograph.org.uk)