Developer submits second application to build 83 homes on former Warwickshire Police HQ land

By James Smith

16th Dec 2022 | Local News

Warwickshire Police sold the land to CALA Homes in December 2021 (Image via Warwickshire Police)
Warwickshire Police sold the land to CALA Homes in December 2021 (Image via Warwickshire Police)

A second scheme to build 83 houses on the land around Warwickshire Police's Leek Wootton headquarters has been submitted to Warwick District Council.

CALA Homes submitted on original application in March 2022, having purchased the land, including old tennis courts and sports fields, in December last year.

And while a decision is yet to be made on the first proposal, the developer has now put forward a second set of plans.

Still for 83 houses, the new plan comes as a result of district officers failing to respond to negotiations from CALA - the application claims.

"The applicant sought to open negotiations with officers at the council but despite repeated attempts, there has been no response," it states. 

"By submitting an outline application, it is hoped that the issues can be narrowed down and progress can be made on delivering the allocated housing site."

The application says if approval is given soon, the first houses could be occupied within five years.

It also states that the 3.8 hectare site will be developed to match the rest of the village.

"The applicant is keen to ensure that the proposals assimilate with the built fabric and community of Leek Wootton," the planning statement said. 

"This will be done by ensuring that opportunities are taken up to link the development both physically and visually. 

"This will include pedestrian links with the village."

Of the 83 homes, 40 per cent will be for affordable housing, with the majority being built for social rent.

CALA also said it planned to use land beyond the site for recreation but "discussions with the parish council have also indicated that there would be a local preference for upgrading existing play facilities in the village rather than on site provision".

Residents' Complaints

CALA says no further public consultation has been held for the new scheme, but said the response before the spring application was submitted was "positive".

However, residents have continued to voice concerns about the development with more than 200 objections made to the first application.

Leek Wootton Focus Group leader Harry Wilson told Nub News in June that CALA had not taken on board local views, despite hosting an online Q&A in February.

"This is absolutely outrageous, there is no other word for it," he said at the time.

"I was thinking it would be a two-way interaction, but it wasn't.

"I sat there for forty minutes and listened to CALA talking to themselves. We had no interaction whatsoever, we just listened to CALA stage manage the whole process.

"The plan that CALA put forward to us, nothing has changed. They spoke to the parish council as well, but they have changed absolutely nothing on those plans."

     

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