Campaigners have lost their battle to stop a new block of flats and shops being built on the car park at Talisman Square.

Developer Cobalt Estates has won its planning appeal for the town centre development, after Warwick District Council (WDC) had refused to grant it planning permission last year.

The car park can now be turned into a block of 43 apartments built over two new shops.

In their report, planning inspector K Townsend said there were two main issues to address for the application - the appearance of the building's impact on the local area, and the impact on traffic and parking.

Despite the objections of WDC, Kenilworth Town Council and a swathe of local residents, the inspector said the new block would not have a negative impact on the appearance of the town centre.

An artist's impression of what the new flats could look like (image via Advent PR)

"Overall, the proposed building, although taller than the surrounding buildings, would not be an unduly dominant or visually obtrusive form of development," the report said. 

"It would respect the prevailing character of the surrounding built form. 

"Moreover, the design, including its scale and massing, would provide a positive response to the site and surrounding area.

"The proposed materials, the design of the fenestration and the changes in roof level would help to break up the massing of the building. 

"Consequently, I find that the proposal would not cause unacceptable harm to the character of the area and the development would integrate successfully with the town centre. 

"Furthermore, the proposal would be a well-designed scheme that would contribute positively to the character of the town centre and place-making."

The new block will be built over the car park in Talisman Square (image by Nub News)

In the report, the inspector also said the loss of the car park was acceptable as permission for it is currently only temporary.

"The loss of the site as a town centre car park for shoppers and businesses has also already been accepted by the identification of the site as a primary retail frontage and the previous planning permissions," the report continued. 

"Moreover, the consent for use as a car park was only temporary as the council expect the site to be redeveloped. 

"Furthermore, I have no compelling evidence that the other town centre car parks, which I visited while in Kenilworth, do not provide sufficient capacity for shoppers and businesses within the town, and also for visitors to the proposed development."

Following the decision, Hugo Hawkings, chief executive of Discovery Properties, the developers of Talisman Shopping Centre, said: "We are very pleased with the planning inspectorate's decision to allow the appeal on this scheme.

"We have been investors in Kenilworth for more than 20 years through the development of Talisman Shopping Centre, which modernised much of the site originally developed in the 1970s and brought key businesses such as Waitrose into Kenilworth.        

"This new development will provide much-needed housing in Kenilworth as well as adding further variety to the retail offer, and will directly benefit the community by encouraging people to live in and visit the town centre.

"The delays to the scheme were regrettable, but we are now looking forward to bringing this project forward for the benefit of Kenilworth following this decision."

See the full report here.