Shop at Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington will close next weekend as part of council's customer services move

The shop at the Royal Pump Rooms in Leamington will close next weekend.

Work to replace the shop with a customer services area for Warwick District Council (WDC) will start on Monday November 20.

The shop will close on the previous day (Sunday November 19).

More than 2,000 people signed an online petition to protect the shop before the controversial plans were approved in July.

WDC has said it continues work to find an alternative space for the artists to display and sell their collections.

Signage will be in place to guide visitors to the art gallery, cafe and library, which will remain fully open during this time.

A council spokeswoman said: “Design elements for Warwick District Council’s new customer service hub at the Royal Pump Rooms requiring listed building consent were approved by Planning Committee on Tuesday [November 7].

“This decision will allow for the installation of a door and wooden partitions to replace the metal roller shutters to be incorporated into the designs of the new customer area in the 20th century foyer section of the building."

The relocation of Warwick District Council’s face-to-face provision will follow its vacation of its Riverside House headquarters in Leamington in early 2024 and the transfer of the council’s principal administrative office space to Saltisford in Warwick.

Additional information including a question and answer section on the new Customer Service Centre can be found on the Warwick District Council website here https://shorturl.at/ahqIP