Councillors have given unanimous approval to plans for two houses on the site of a former school in Baginton.

Southam-based firm D.F.J. Hewer Ltd had applied for planning permission to build two houses and a peace garden next to the Grade I listed St John the Baptist Church on Church Road.

And despite the objections on seven residents over the size and design of the two buildings, Warwick District Council members gave the green light to the scheme at this week's planning meeting.

A report presented to members said: "The application site constitutes previously developed land and the cumulative scale of the proposed development insofar as the massing, footprint, heights etc are concerned would not, in officers' opinion, have a greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt than the building which previously occupied the site."

The former village school was closed in 1976 and then taken over by the Lucy Price Sunday School Trust.

It then lay empty for ten years before being demolished.

But Cllr Colin Quinney questioned the communal use of the peace garden which will back onto the church grounds.

"It seems odd," he said.

"In particular I am concerned whether it will be used, above all who maintains it, what happens if nobody maintains it, is anybody going to maintain it?"

Having been told by council officers that this was not actually a planning matter, it was revealed that one of the two houses will be responsible for maintaining the garden and that this would be included in the deeds of the property.