Councillors will next week decide whether to press forward with the demolition of the former Kenilworth School site on Rouncil Lane, before a buyer is found.

Warwick District Council bought the building as part of the school's move to Glasshouse Lane, and the site has sat empty since late 2023.

While it is earmarked for more houses, the council is yet to secure a buyer to develop the site.

A report set to be debated at next week's cabinet meeting has indicated council officers are considering flattening the buildings to make it easier for the local authority to sell it

"Soft market testing has also indicated that there would be greater interest from developers if they could acquire a cleared site," a council report said.

"From their perspective, this has the benefit of reducing upfront capital requirements, eliminates uncertainty relating to ground conditions and existing infrastructure, and enables them to potentially get onto site more quickly to prepare for development."

It added: "Officers have undertaken high-level valuation work to ascertain how much additional value can be achieved by marketing Rouncil Lane with the buildings demolished, as there is not a 1:1 correlation between land value increase and the cost of demolition."

Only some of the report has been made public. None of the details of potential budgets has been released.

The report did state the council's housing team has been speaking to Homes England (HE) with the view the developer could buy the Rouncil Lane site, like it has with Leyes Lane.

No sale of the site has been "promised or undertaken" according to the report.

HE could try to get planning permission to develop the land before buying it.

"Subsequently, HE have been undertaking due diligence at their own risk and have commissioned multiple surveys in preparation for submitting a planning application later this year subject to their internal approvals.

"HE are exploring the option of twin tracking the preparation and submission of a planning application with the land sale negotiations, to avoid any unnecessary delays.

"HE have indicated that they are working to a target completion date of 31st March 2027, subject to their receipts and securing the necessary internal approvals."

The report also revealed there is no clear valuation of the site currently.

"Officers are aware that land values have dropped, even since the start of 2026; geopolitical uncertainties and other macroeconomic factors including weaker sales rates of new homes and increased development costs are affecting viability nationwide," the report continued.

"There is evidence of cautiousness in the market with developers factoring in higher profit margins and abnormal costs to manage risks and uncertainties, which is driving down land values and resulting in lower levels of developer interest."

The cabinet meeting will be held on Wednesday 9 September.

See the full report here.