New version of Kenilworth Neighbourhood Plan about to be published

The council also agreed to hold a special public meeting on the plan, which will influence future development in Kenilworth if adopted, to be held on Thursday March 15 in Jubilee House at 7pm.

The revised plan is expected to be uploaded onto the Kenilworth Web website at some point this week. Once uploaded, the council would still like feedback on it.

At a town council meeting held on Thursday February 22, Cllr George Illingworth (Con, Abbey) said 'tremendous progress' had been made on the plan.

But the adoption of Warwick district's Local Plan, and the huge number of responses to the first version of the Neighbourhood Plan, meant the redrafting process took a long time.

Cllr Illingworth added: "It was amazing how many things had to be altered. We had to reflect all the consultation responses."

Some of the strongest responses were about traffic issues.

The new developments coming to Kenilworth as part of the Local Plan meant many people raised concerns about now the road network will cope.

The Neighbourhood Plan has been rewritten to demonstrate the concern and the need for a holistic view of the traffic issues.

The plan has also been 'drastically revised' to add as much protection as possible for residents near Castle Farm, who are worried about the planned move to the site by Kenilworth Wardens. The club is moving to make space for more housing.

Nearby residents' concerns include continued public access, increased traffic and access routes affecting them and building and lighting in the Green Belt.

The plan will also include details of a 20 mph 'zone' for drivers in the town centre, and the possibility of a two-storey car park to be built.

Responses on green issues included the protection of trees and hedgerows on development sites, alternatives to driving cars, and better flood prevention. The plan has been updated to address these concerns 'where possible'.

At the special meeting in March, councillors will decide whether the plan can be sent to Warwick District Council for approval.

If the district council accepts the plan, it will then be sent to an independent inspector for approval.

After all this, the plan will be put to residents in a yes or no referendum.