Controversial plans to close a Leamington shop that sells work by local artists to accommodate a council customer service centre have been approved.

Warwick District Council's (WDC) cabinet unanimously agreed to repurpose the shop in the Royal Pump Rooms, The Parade, Leamington Spa, due to the planned sale and closure of the council's Riverside House base.

More than 2,000 people signed an online petition to protect the shop, which operates alongside Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, and the council's report acknowledges the closure will "directly impact on 20 artists who regularly sell their works at the site". 

However, alternative proposals to relocate the council's services to the Town Hall or a vacant shop were deemed less favourable by professional at the authority.

As has become customary at WDC, group leaders of all political parties had the opportunity to express a view with Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Alan Boad suggesting a "pause" on the decision.

"There is not actually anything in there to say what the requirements are that we are trying to meet," he said. 

"If you don't know what your requirements are, how big or small they need to be, how can you size what you need to do or where you need to do it?" 

The council's report ruled out a space in the Town Hall due to potentially higher costs, accessibility issues and a "disjointed customer journey" that is "not the kind of experience we desire our customers to have" but Cllr Boad argued it would take "significantly less" work and money.

It is anticipated the work at the Royal Pump Rooms will cost £410,000, more than double the original estimate.

"Is there a cheaper way? I know the leader is very concerned about the (financial) black hole, here you are taking another £400,000 when you could perhaps take £200,000 or £300,000," said Cllr Boad. 

On the art shop, he added: "Where do you want it ideally? In an art gallery. Move it anywhere else, how are you going to get the trade there? It is ridiculous." 

Portfolio holder for resources Cllr Jonathan Chilvers later disagreed, saying "the scoping exercise about what is needed was fairly clearly laid out" in a report that showed the Pump Rooms to be "the more satisfactory option". 

Cllr Jessica Harrison, portfolio holder for transformation, added: "The Town Hall has been marked for other council uses as we had to move out of Riverside House, meaning there is not adequate space to have customer services here without it being disjointed and less accessible than it would be in the Pump Rooms. 

"The people coming to our face-to-face services may be some of our most vulnerable who need accessible ways to enter."

Conservative leader Cllr Andrew Day, who was WDC leader when council professionals were asked to work out the best option earlier in the year, said that work had been set in train by "a cross-party, strategic decision" which took account of "the need for us to get back on The Parade where our residents congregate". 

"I want to stress, this was not solely a financial decision, this was about improving our services to our residents," he said before highlighting the need for a replacement art shop.

"The creative community in Leamington Spa and across Warwick district is a vital part of our community," he added. 

"This shop is clearly a valuable and important asset and I would encourage close work with BID Leamington, for example, to see what is possible. 

"Regrettably, we have vacant shop frontages and surely there are other pop-up opportunities and other creative ways to enable this sort of retail function to carry on." 

Cllr Judith Falp said her initial reservations relating to the design had been overcome but shared in worries that every party expressed over the cost. 

"Would we have said yes if we knew it was going to be £410,000 in February? That's probably the question we ask ourselves," she said. 

While all cabinet members voted for the proposals, a £410,000 budget to see them through and continued work to find an alternative venue for the shop, Councillor Ella Billiald (Green, Leamington Willes) was not totally convinced. 

"I am concerned we are changing the atmosphere of a Grade II listed building by adding an office element," she said. 

"I am also concerned that local artists are losing a place to sell their art, affecting their motivation to an extent as well as their income.

"However, considering the decision to leave Riverside House and the difficulties with alternative locations, I am reluctantly voting for these recommendations in the hope that another venue can be found to accommodate the artists."

(Image by David Dixon via geograph.org)