Town councillors have objected to plans to build six new industrial buildings in Kenilworth.

After a lengthy discussion last week, Kenilworth Town Council has objected to Barwood Development Securities Ltd's planning application for the land at Thickthorn.

Councillors said the scheme - which is on land already approved for employment use - does not follow the Land East of Kenilworth Development Brief or the Kenilworth Neighbourhood Plan, both of which were designed to control how the town is developed.

The application submitted to WDC would see six 'employment units' totalling an area of 22,000 square metres built on site.

Plans also include some 496 parking spaces, with traffic coming onto the site from the already busy Leamington Road. Objections to the next stages at Kenilworth Gate have regularly included concerns about increased traffic and congestion in that part of town.

Town councillors have also raised concerns about access to the site, cycling infrastructure and the fact that part of town is not designed to accommodate HGV movements.

"The buildings on site do not relate well to existing properties, they are not visually interesting nor do the plans show dense mature planting acting as a landscape buffer," the objection said.

"These are key elements of the development brief.

"The entrance to Kenilworth should be of parkland character.

"The site sits on the main entryway into the town and does not reflect this strict criteria."

Councillors also said a detailed travel study is needed, and said no buildings should be occupied until the spine road is completed on site.

They also criticised how little of the space has been allocated for use as offices.

The industrial buidlings would be built on the land between the A46 and Leamington Road (image via planning application)

When planning permission for the neighbouring Kenilworth Gate housing estate - including 550 homes and a primary school - was approved in 2021, the scheme also included a the major piece of 'employment land'.

The area has since been marketing with the local authority working to find investors to bring the industrial site forward.

"The design blends functionality, efficiency, and aesthetic considerations," Barwood's application said. 

"By using material contrasts, careful massing, and integrating sustainable technologies, the proposals will achieve a crisp, clean, contemporary feel while providing practical solutions for industrial operations. 

"The balance between the industrial functionality and the modern office environments ensures a cohesive and visually attractive development."

Designs show there would be a tree-lined footpath onto the site from Leamington Road.

There would also be a footpath around the edge of the development "offering an opportunity for outdoor activity and relaxation, integrating green spaces with the industrial environment".

Northamptonshire-based Barwood works to promote land through the planning process and then secure sales "to maximise sale receipts".

It has already worked on The Asps in Warwick and is involved with the site at Hob Lane in Balsall Common.

See the full application here.