Plans for former King's High School site in Warwick get green light

The school relocated to its new site in July 2019
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Plans to redevelop the former Kings High School for Girls site in Warwick have been approved which will see listed and historic buildings converted into homes while more modern classroom blocks will be demolished to make way for apartments.

And the scheme will also see a huge multi-story underground car park dug out to create 184 spaces.

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The school relocated to its new Banbury Road location from the Smith Street site in July 2019 after being there for 140 years.

The old King's High School sign that used to be in Smith Street. Photo by Gill FletcherThe old King's High School sign that used to be in Smith Street. Photo by Gill Fletcher
The old King's High School sign that used to be in Smith Street. Photo by Gill Fletcher

The plans were given the green light at Tuesday’s meeting of Warwick District Council’s planning committee with councillors giving their unanimous support.

In total there will be 118 new units created, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to the conversion of the 17th Century Grade II* Listed Landor House into a family home.

Paul Phillips, on behalf of developers Wake Green (Warwick) Ltd, explained to councillors that there had been redesigns following consultation including two public hearings organised by the Warwick Society.

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These changes included increasing the number of affordable homes from 10 to 30 per cent, reducing the height of apartment blocks from five to four storeys and increasing car park spaces.

The former school building in Smith Street. Photo by Gill FletcherThe former school building in Smith Street. Photo by Gill Fletcher
The former school building in Smith Street. Photo by Gill Fletcher
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Warwick Town Council also supported the plans with Cllr Stephen Cross telling the meeting: “Development will deliver both affordable homes and open market properties that will considerably improve the balance of the overall residential offer in the town.

“While we are proud of our town, the development will provide undoubted improvement to the streetscene within the town for everyone by replacing the large poor quality buildings with new high quality dwellings that will have a positive impact on the contribution this site makes to the character and appearance of the town’s conservation area.”

Two other speakers at the virtual meeting were against the development.

The former school siteThe former school site
The former school site
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James McKay from CAF [Conservation Area Forum] argued that the scheme was too large and would see 4,000 44-tonne lorry loads of rubble and spoil removed from the site.

He added: “The buildings proposed - mostly blocks of flats - are massive.

"They attack the character of the surrounding conservation area which the council’s statement describes as a medieval suburb - a higgledy piggledy mixture of buildings, a result of centuries of gradual change.

"The basic problem of too many flats and houses squeezed into too little space remains.”

The former school siteThe former school site
The former school site
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Cllr Dave Skinner (Lab, Warwick Saltisford) also objected along with nine members of the public.

Their concerns included the level of affordable housing, parking, the impact on existing properties particularly in Chapel Street, and the loss of garages in Priory Road car park.