A proposed new housing estate in Kenilworth could "cause harm to the public health infrastructure" the local NHS trust has said.

Homes England has applied for planning permission to demolish the former Kenilworth School site at Leyes Lane and replace it with 224 new homes.

If approved, the development would see 40 per cent of the homes labelled affordable and an 'extra care' facility with 75 bedrooms for the elderly built.

However, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust has warned there could be a "detrimental impact" on local acute and community healthcare infrastructure if the scheme goes ahead.

It has asked for £449,427 from the developer in a section 106 agreement - a legal requirement for builders to invest in local infrastructure - if it is approved.

"The proposed development will cause harm to the public health infrastructure by way of an increase in the demand individually and cumulatively during the lifetime of the proposed development," a notice from the trust said. 

"The anticipated patient yield is cautiously measured and takes into consideration the existing population in the trust catchment area. 

"The new population coming into the area from outside South Warwickshire will have healthcare needs which may, in some cases, be potentially more complex and in need of more care infrastructure than projected and cost.

"This proposed development will, therefore, have a direct detrimental effect on the trust's health service infrastructure. 

"The mitigation of such harm [the 106 request] has been carefully considered and is fairly and reasonably related to the impact created."

The trust - which did not formally object to the application - said the new estate would bring an extra 148 A&E visits per year, as well as demands for other services.

It said the £450,000 requested is a "conservative request" while the trust's current capacity is already "maximised".

The statement continued: "Without the mitigation, the trust is unable to meet the health needs of the population and the proposed development will compromise the ability of the trust to meet the health needs of both future occupants of this proposed development and the future population of the local community because there is insufficient healthcare infrastructure and capacity available, as set out in the updated evidence and in this statement."

Kenilworth Town Council has also endorsed the comments from the local NHS, and said this must be considered if planning permission is approved.

Prior approval to demolish the site has already been signed off.

Should the application be approved, a second 'reserved matters' application would then need to be submitted. This would deal with the detailed designs and arrangements for the homes.

In October, the district council confirmed the former school sites - which it owns - could be sold, but only with a development plan in place.

The local authority wants the land at Rouncil Lane and Leyes Lane to be turned into "high-quality, affordable, and environmentally sustainable homes".

No plans for Rouncil Lane have yet been revealed.

Click here to see the planning application.