Kenilworth to grow by the size of 145 football pitches - The Leamington Observer

Kenilworth to grow by the size of 145 football pitches

Laura Kearns 31st Oct, 2018   0

‘UNDER-DEVELOPED’ Kenilworth is set to grow by the size of around 145 football pitches.

A masterplan looking at developing the eastern part of the town has recently been revealed as the next step towards providing ‘much-needed’ housing in the district.

It is part of Warwick District Council’s local plan, which will shape the future of district until 2029 and see some 17,000 homes built, and also take on some of neighbouring Coventry’s unmet housing need.

Kenilworth is set for ‘significant growth’ with properties being created along the A46, mostly on former greenbelt land.




Council officers believe the development will see some 6,000 people move to the town – increasing its population by around a fifth.

Most of the homes would be built on land at Thickthorn, which is set for 760 houses and the equivalent of 16 football pitches of employment land.


The remaining 640 homes would be built at Crewe Lane.

Some 40 per cent of the homes will be affordable and the document says some student housing could be built in the area.

If approved work would begin next year, with 125 homes built by April 2020 and 175 on an annual basis after that.

A council spokesman said: “The masterplan will help ensure the developments on the land east of Kenilworth are integrated well with the town, providing much needed housing, open space, employment and land and community facilities.”

The plan is set to go before the district council’s executive on Wednesday (October 31) before being put out for public consultation.

The proposals include a ‘local centre’ at the end of Glasshouse Lane, which would feature a community centre, shops, takeaways, restaurants and cafes.

There also would be room for a new home for Kenilworth School at Southcrest Farm, along with a new primary school.

And those living on new estates would be encouraged to cycle or walk to cut down on the number of cars on the district’s roads. It follows news the town has a higher number of vehicle owners than both the district and national averages.

To encourage this the masterplan includes a new cycle network around the town, with shared pedestrian and cycle paths, including on the so-called Spine Road – which would cut through the whole of the new development from Leamington Road to Crewe Lane.

A spokesman said: “In the interest of highway safety and to promote walking and cycling within the development, traffic speeds throughout the development would be 20mph except on the Spine Road which shall be 30mph.”

Thickthorn Island would also undergo improvements to cope with the added pressures, including having signals installed and approaches to the island widened.

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