Breaking news: judicial review application for Warwick District Council's controversial HQ move plan is refused

CGI of Warwick, District Council's proposed new headquarters in Leamington town centre.

A statement on the district council's website says: "Warwick District Council has today heard that the application made for a Judicial Review of its HQ plans has been refused.

A local group, Save Leamington from Warwick DC, has carried out crowdfunding to raise the funds for a Judicial Review of the Council’s HQ relocation plans.

They have questioned the financial implications of the move, along with the planning process undertaken by the Council.

Today the Council has been advised that the application for a Judicial Review has been refused by the High Court of Justice Queen’s Bench Division Planning Court.

It states that the claim is “not properly arguable” and that Warwick District Council did have regard to its planning policy."

Cllr Andrew Mobbs, the leader of Warwick District Council, said: “I am delighted that we can now continue to move ahead with our ambitious plans for our HQ relocation.

"I appreciate that there has been significant debate and discussion about this project and I am pleased we were able to address any concerns raised during our two day public consultation in early June.

"We have published our responses to the questions asked during this consultation and these are available on our website.

"We will continue to work with BID and the Chamber of Trade to mitigate the closure of Covent Garden car park, and my Executive team will be considering a report tomorrow evening that ensures our robust displacement strategy is in place before the closure.”

The scheme, which will see the creation of a new town centre 620-space car park , offices for Warwick District Council and private housing all on the site of the current and ailing Covent Garden car park site, was approved by the council’s planning committee back in January 2018.

A separate outline planning application for up to 170 new homes on the current site of the council’s head office on Milverton Hill – the sale of which the council has said will fund the new HQ – was approved at the same time.