The district council has backed down after refusing planning permission for 140 new homes on Westwood Heath Road.

Warwick District Council's (WDC) planning committee last year narrowly voted against the application from IM Land 1 Limited, despite council officers saying the scheme should be approved.

The developer has since submitted an appeal to the secretary of state in an attempt to force through the plans.

Usually the local council would provide a statement saying why permission was refused and why it stands by this position.

However, WDC has instead said it will not oppose the planning appeal.

"Following the planning application decision, the council received legal advice on the soundness of the reason for refusal," the council wrote.

"In light of this legal advice and having undertaken due consultation, the council's position is that it does not wish to provide a case to substantiate the reason for refusal."

WDC also revealed it is already drafting a section 106 agreement with IM Land 1 Limited - a legal document which agrees how much the developer will pay towards local services such as schools and roads.

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A planning inspector will still need to consider the application before construction begins.

When submitting the appeal earlier this year, IM Land 1 Limited wrote: "The site is in a sustainably accessible location, within an acceptable walking distance of a wide range of services and facilities (including a high frequency railway station), and regular bus service to the surrounding locality."

It continued: "The proposals are capable of accommodating development that will reflect and respect the local character of the surrounding area in terms of design.

"The proposals will be landscape-led and utilise existing landscape features.

"The proposals work with the site's existing topography and surface water features to create a responsive drainage strategy which accounts for future impacts of climate change."

See the full planning application here.