"All they have done is rearrange the deck chairs on the titanic."

That is how one Kenilworth councillor described updated designs for a major new housing development on the edge of town, after the developer behind the scheme had seemingly ignored a series of comments from the council.

Kenilworth Town Council (KTC) had already submitted an objection to the latest application for the land at Thickthorn which will eventually see 291 homes, a takeaway and local centre built.

Outline permission for the development has already been given the green light, but KTC has objected to the specific designs for this phase of the development, which will also see the long-awaited spine road built.

Since the objection was raised, developer Charles Church has slightly revised the designs for this section of the major new estate, but at a council meeting last week members were left disappointed that the range of issues they had previously raised have not been addressed.

Cllr Andrew Milton said: "I am slightly surprised that they can justify calling this revised, because it is not really. 

"The amendments as I have spotted are that they have slightly amended the spine road - putting a little kink in it - and have moved some of the properties around."

Outline plans for the whole development at Thickthorn (image via planning application)

He added: ""There's hardly any changes and to make things short I would suggest we maintain our objection we put last time. 

"I don't see any of the points we have raised have been dealt with. 

"And I think we should add our disappointment that those comments and objections have not been addressed."

KTC previously said the proposals do not "adhere to the development brief created in consultation with residents, nor the Kenilworth Neighbourhood plan". Both are major planning documents produced to help control how the town is developed.

The design of the local centre was also criticised, and other issues around traffic, cycle access and the fact the new homes would be overbearing for the existing homes on Thickthorn Orchards were also raised.

"I was a little disappointed," Cllr Neil Eaton added at last week's meeting. 

"And I think in maintaining our objection we should express our disappointment that these issues haven't been addressed. 

"The minor issues that have been addressed were probably as a result of a meeting between the developers and Warwick District Council's planning officers, but where is the consideration of our objections in all this? 

"And there are some pretty important ones."

Plans show 130 of the homes on this section of the estate will be designated affordable homes, while there will also be 12 'self-build plots'.

Fifty-six, one-bed apartments are also included as well as 76 two-bed apartments. The rest of the houses are made up of two to four-bed houses.

The latest application also includes details of the 'local centre' on the ground floor of one of the apartment blocks.

But with the updated designs mainly focusing on the new link road between Glasshouse Lane and Leamington Road, Cllr Adrian Marsh gave a frank assessment of the proposals.

"It is very disappointing, this revised scheme which has been submitted.

"To coin a phrase, all they have done is rearrange the deck chairs on the titanic."

The housing developer has already been given outline permission for 550 homes on the Leamington Road site, with reserved matters applications already given the green light for the first 242.

Over 50 objections have been submitted by locals.

See the full application here.