Officers back the Heathcote Lane Lidl and 160 homes on Oakley Wood Road, Bishops Tachbrook. Councillors decide on Tuesday 13 October; how to have your say.
Council officers are recommending approval for two of the district’s most argued-over planning applications. Both go to Warwick District Council’s planning committee on Tuesday 13 October.
The first is Lidl’s store on Heathcote Lane, between Warwick and Leamington. It was withdrawn from the September agenda before the vote. The second is up to 160 homes on farmland off Oakley Wood Road, Bishops Tachbrook, the village about three miles south of Leamington. That site was refused for 150 homes in 2016.
The agenda has four applications. Officers recommend approval for three and refusal for one.
| Item | Site | Plan | Officers say |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Europa House, Heathcote Lane, Warwick | Lidl foodstore and car park | Approve |
| 6 | Land at Oakley Wood Road, Bishops Tachbrook | Up to 160 homes (outline) | Approve |
| 7 | 1-3 Chesham Street, Leamington | Day nursery extension | Approve |
| 8 | 43 Brunswick Street, Leamington | Vacuum-glazed windows in a listed house | Refuse |
The meeting starts at 6pm at the Town Hall in Leamington and is livestreamed on the council’s YouTube channel, according to its planning committee page.
Lidl, Heathcote Lane: why it is back
The application, W/25/0728, is for a discount foodstore on the site of Europa House. The site fronts the roundabout where the A452 meets Heathcote Lane.
It was due to be decided on 16 September. It was withdrawn before the vote so officers could get more clarity on the “sequential test”. That test asks whether a store could go in or near a town centre before an out-of-centre site is allowed. Objectors, including Tesco, argued that Leamington’s Covent Garden car park should have counted.
The new officer report answers that point. It says the council, as owner of the Covent Garden site, has now advised that the car park is not likely to be available for about three years. On that basis officers say it is not available “within a reasonable period”, and the test is met.
The report also notes that the council’s consultant judged the Chandos Street car park, at 0.4 hectares, too small for the store.
If approved, the conditions would include:
- opening, deliveries and waste collections only between 7am and 11pm
- a cap of 2,185 sq m of floor space, with no more than 1,516 sq m of sales area
- at least 80% of the sales area for groceries, with no more than 20% for other goods
- a new toucan crossing on Heathcote Lane, built before the store opens
- £48,300 towards two new bus stops on Heathcote Lane
The store would have 122 parking spaces. The report says that is 34 fewer than the council’s parking standards would ask for, and officers accept the lower figure.
Who objected. Warwick Town Council objects. It says the parking spaces were cut by eight, not increased, and that the walking route into the store is not direct. The report counts 12 objections, including from the Leamington Society, and one letter of support.
160 homes off Oakley Wood Road, Bishops Tachbrook
The application, W/25/1339 from Sharba Homes Ltd, asks for outline permission for up to 160 homes. Only the access is fixed at this stage: a new junction onto Oakley Wood Road, the B4087. The layout and house designs would come later.
The officer report describes the site as about 10.3 hectares of farmland south east of the village. It sits next to the village boundary but outside it. About 4.7 hectares would be built on. The rest would be open space and a drainage pond.
Why officers back it. The report says the council can show a supply of only 1.96 years of housing land, against the five years national policy requires. That shortfall changes the rules: permission should be granted unless the harm “substantially” outweighs the benefits. Officers conclude it does not.
The report also says:
- 40% of the homes would be affordable, which meets council policy
- the site is about 500 metres from the village centre, by existing footpaths
- the village has a pub, primary school, church, shop and medical centre
- Leamington is about 4.5 kilometres to the north
- the county’s landscape officer still expects “at least a moderate level of harm”
Why it was refused before. A 2016 application for 150 homes on the same land, W/16/2076, was refused, and the appeal was later withdrawn. The reasons were the level of housing growth around the village, the harm to its rural character and the site’s poor link to the village. Officers say the area has changed since, with new homes opposite the site and the new Oakley School nearby.
Who objected. Bishop’s Tachbrook Parish Council objects. Among its grounds:
- the plan comes before the South Warwickshire Local Plan is adopted
- it conflicts with the Bishop’s Tachbrook Neighbourhood Plan
- it would cause urban sprawl and harm the landscape
- there are concerns about drainage, sewage and road safety
Ward councillor Day also objects. There are 24 objections from the public, mostly on doctors, schools, traffic, flooding and the loss of countryside.
The site was once considered for allocation in the emerging South Warwickshire Local Plan, but it was dropped at the latest stage. Officers give the emerging plan limited weight.
One more point in the report: under a new government direction, councils must now consult the Secretary of State before refusing an application for 150 or more homes.
What the developer would pay. The report lists Section 106 payments worth about £1.33 million if all 160 homes are built:
| What for | Amount |
|---|---|
| Education (early years to secondary, and SEN) | £314,623 |
| Warwick Hospital and community health | £268,233 |
| Local highways, including the Europa Way scheme | £210,600 |
| GP surgeries, including Croft Medical Centre | £192,919 |
| Indoor sport and leisure centres | £153,300 |
| Warwickshire Police | £42,867 |
| Grass pitches | £41,950 |
| Habitat management | £35,238 |
| Air quality | £30,007 |
| Outdoor sport | £20,675 |
| Road safety education | £8,000 |
| Footpaths | £5,736 |
| Libraries | £3,502 |
The last eight lines add up to £187,975. The development would also pay the Community Infrastructure Levy.
The other two items
1-3 Chesham Street, Leamington. The Bright Stars day nursery wants a single-storey entrance pavilion and an infill extension. There are five objections, mainly about parking, traffic and noise from more children. Officers recommend approval. See the report.
43 Brunswick Street, Leamington. This is the listed house where owners want timber windows with vacuum double glazing on the front. Councillors deferred it in September and asked for more evidence. The new report still recommends refusal. It cites two dismissed appeals in the district: slimline double glazing at 41 Portland Street in January 2024, and replacement windows at Oaks Farm, Kenilworth, in June 2024. The application has eight comments in support.
What it means for you
- You can speak at the meeting if you are an objector, supporter, applicant or the parish or town council. The council’s rules set the deadline to register at 10am on the working day before, which is Monday 12 October. Register through the council’s online form.
- If you live near Heathcote Lane, an approval would bring a new crossing and two bus stops, and the store hours would be limited to 7am to 11pm.
- If you live in Bishops Tachbrook, this is outline permission. The layout, house types and the mix of homes would come back in a later application, which you can comment on.
- Councillors do not have to follow the officers. We will report the decisions after the meeting.
You can follow all district applications on our planning news page.
Have your say