PEOPLE are urged to have their say on long-term plans for St Mary’s Lands in Warwick.
Warwick District Council has drawn up a masterplan which includes a new hotel between the racecourse stands and Racing Club Warwick, together with proposals to improve footpaths, expand the number of caravan pitches, improve the golf club’s facilities, create more parking spaces and improve drainage and flood defences.
And consulting with Aylesford School pupils, a new cycle route through the racecourse is also planned which would give a safe route for youngsters to travel to school from as far as the Woodloes estate.
The proposals have not been without their critics and previous plans for a hotel, at the entrance to the racecourse, were dropped after opposition from residents.
But council chiefs are convinced the newly proposed hotel will be a benefit to the town’s tourism trade – especially in the wake of the Lord Leycester Hotel set to be converted into homes.
A working party – comprised of town, district and county council representatives, business representatives and community group Friends of St Mary’s Land – united to create the masterplan, which will be on display for comments at Shire Hall for a week from Saturday (May 21).
Leader of Warwick Town Council and member of the working party, Coun Moira-Ann Grainger said: “The working party has brought together all of the groups with a direct interest in this part of Warwick and has overcome a lot of previous difficulties to develop a range of proposals that has something for everyone.
“All of the participants in the working party, the three councils, the friends group, the racecourse, the football club, the corps of drums, Hill Close Gardens, the golf centre all helped to develop and are supportive of the proposals.
“What we need to know now is that the local community feel the same.”
Some work has already started on the first stage to revamp Racing Club Warwick’s ground – neighbouring the racecourse – including the knocking down old buildings, tarmacing and leveling the site and putting up a new fence.
The district council is working with the club in a bid to extend the facilities for community use – including using the main bar as a community hall, and home to a nursery.
It could take some ten years for all the works to be completed as the masterplan is a culmination of 17 small projects which will all be funded from various sources.
The masterplan will also be available to view on the council’s website www.warwickdc.gov.uk
