A small step forward has been made on plans to build 2,500 houses between Kenilworth and Stoneleigh, years after planning permission was first granted.

The scheme for Kings Hill Lane was given outline permission in December 2021, despite objections from locals, but little has happened to move the development forward since.

Last year Nub News reported a new developer is wanted, with landowner Lioncourt Homes no longer intending to build the houses themselves.

However, a small application has been submitted to Warwick District Council (WDC) to deal with bus, cycle and emergency service access in the first part of the estate.

The original planning application says these details must be agreed with the council before any homes can be occupied.

This application has been submitted by Lioncourt Homes.

However, the submissions are unlikely to trigger any huge development on site, as a 'reserved matters' application is yet to be put forward. This would deal with all the detailed designs of the properties within the estate.

A planning inspector's report on WDC's five-year housing supply last year said of King's Hill Lane: "Outline permission was granted in December 2021.

"No reserved matters applications have since been submitted. 

"The landowner no longer intends to build the site out themselves and is looking to market it to a developer. 

"This exercise has already been delayed and was not expected to start until March 2024. 

"No timescales have been provided for how long this might take or when a reserved matters application might be submitted."

The original application for Kings Hill Lane was actually considered by councillors in December 2019, but it then took Warwick District Council and developer Lioncourt Homes another two years to sign a section 106 agreement.

A section 106 agreement forces developers to invest in the local area's infrastructure to offset the impact of building thousands of houses.

The plans also include a shopping centre, primary school and secondary school for Stoneleigh.

Six parish and town councils as well as hundreds of residents objected to the application.

"The fact there is already outline permission and the landowner is continuing to work on marketing and discharging conditions, provides some comfort that progress has not entirely stalled," the inspector's report added. 

"There is sufficient evidence to conclude there could be some delivery within five years. 

"Nevertheless, at best this would only be at the very end of the period."

Lioncourt has been approached for comment.