What is going on with the major housing developments around Kenilworth?
A report presented to Kenilworth Town Council last week has given an update on all the major housing projects across the town.
With new houses on the various developments along Glasshouse Lane already up for sale, 1,500 houses are currently either under construction or awaiting planning approval.
More applications for new estates are also expected to be submitted in the coming months.
Southcrest Rise
Miller Homes is underway building 99 homes along Glasshouse Lane, which have already gone on sale.
The show home is set to open on Saturday, April 29 - and a range of buying incentives have also been announced by the developer.
Stoneleigh View
Further along Glasshouse Lane, Vistry, Bovis and Linden Homes are on site building the initial phases of their planning permission for 620 dwellings.
This includes 248 affordable homes that will be taken on by Warwick District Council.
It is anticipated that in early June the first seven affordable housing units will be handed over to WDC.
Developers are currently in discussion with the district council over the access to the site, hoping to build the new junction off Crewe Lane, before the one with Glasshouse Lane.
The first market homes are now available with two of the show homes now open.
Land at Thickthorn
Charles Church is building the first 98 homes at its site at Thickthorn - the first phase of the major development.
The report presented to KTC said works on the access of Leamington Road are already underway, and 40 homes are expected to be completed this year.
The show home is set to open in late spring 2023, with the first plots now up for sale.
An outline planning application for the remaining 452 homes, retail and employment land and community centre is currently under consideration with the district council.
The developer has also been given planning permission to cut back trees to make space for the new homes.
But residents will initially have to use the new school on Glasshouse Lane as a community facility when it opens in September, rather than a purpose-built centre which is yet to be built.
Speaking at KTC last week, Cllr Richard Dickson again raised the issue, saying: "There is no mention of the community facilities, and I do hope there are in the coming reports.
"Developers build houses. You don't get a community until the homes are occupied by people and the community facilities are built.
"At the moment it seems very vague as to what the design is for that building and the operation of it."
Kenilworth Rugby Club
An outline planning application to build 220 homes on the current Kenilworth Rugby Club ground has been submitted to WDC by Bloor Homes.
"The application is for the demolition of all existing structures and the erection of up to 220 dwellings (170 dwellings on the Cowpatch site, and 50 dwellings on KRFC Ground site), with associated access, sustainable urban drainage systems, open space, landscaping, drainage and ancillary infrastructure and ground remodelling," the report said.
Meanwhile at the club's new site off Warwick Road - which already has planning permission - work is already underway relocating newts to the three new ponds. This needs to be completed before any work building the new ground can begin.
Kenilworth Wardens
WDC continues to work with Kenilworth Wardens to prepare a planning application to relocate to the land next to Castle Farm.
Securing permission for this land will enable the site at Glasshouse Lane to be released for redevelopment - the report said.
Warwick District Council has already provided £712,000 to help the club relocate from Glasshouse Lane to Castle Farm, with its current ground allocated for houses in the local plan.
WDC's cabinet signed off on a further £300,000 in forward funding last September with a report saying the project would "probably not go ahead" unless the council increased its funding.
The Pavilions
Bovis Homes are still building homes on The Pavilions site off Warwick Road.
The Pavilions comprises of 125 dwellings in total - after plans to build four more homes were withdrawn.
The majority of the dwellings are complete with remaining plots 92 - 125 under construction; these are due to be completed by September 2023.
Kenilworth School
The new school on Glasshouse Lane is still on track to open in September 2023.
Physical works are due to be completed in mid-summer to allow for the relocation from the Leyes Lane and Rouncil Lane sites before the start of the new academic year.
Roadworks for the new school have already begun and include new cycleways, Toucan crossings and speed humps.
"The existing secondary school at Leyes Lane and sixth form school at Rouncil Lane, upon becoming vacant in September, will be secured and prepared for redevelopment," the report added.
"WDC are the landowners for these sites and have recently completed public consultation exercises for the two housing schemes which were well attended.
"Consultation responses are being reviewed with outcomes forming further internal discussion, that will support future planning applications that are being prepared with the intention of submitting them, later this year."
Speaking at last week's KTC meeting Cllr Dickson also raised concerns about the timescale for the projects.
"There is a potential timing issue with the sixth form at Rouncil Lane being secured and prepared for development in September, bearing in mind that it is currently being used by the Scouts and Guides, and their new facilities are not scheduled to be available at Castle Farm until November at the earliest," he said.
"I do hope that somehow the school and the Scouts and Guides can somehow agree that they don't have to find yet another temporary home."
For an update on the Castle Farm and Abbey Fields projects, click here.
The report made no mention of possible plans to redevelop the Woodside Hotel.
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