COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

A major new £25 million development in Leamington for over 55s has been unveiled.

Orbit Homes is planning to build an Independent Living with Care scheme on land at Queensway, which will include 179 one and two bedroom apartments.

The scheme is designed to provide affordable living for over 55s and will feature a wide range of facilities including a restaurant, café, garden room, hairdressing salon and IT suite – many of which will be available for use by the wider community.

The development, which would employ 50 people, is planned for the site of the former Al-Ko Kober factory site, which has lain empty for 12 years, and will be built by Coventry-based Deeley Construction.

Lorraine Mansfield, Business Development Manager at Orbit Heart of England, said: “Independent Living with Care is designed to help local people remain independent in their own home providing a place where they can enjoy a real community spirit with like minded people.

“This will be a valuable addition to the local area and similar schemes have proved to be widely popular in other parts of the region.”

Local residents were invited to view the scheme at the nearby Sikh Temple Gurdwara Sahib, and the plans were then shown to Warwicks District Council’s Development Review Forum this week.

Deeley and Orbit Homes plan to submit a planning application in June with work starting before the end of the year.

Pat Moroney of the Deeley Group, said: “We think this site is perfectly located for this type of development. We have been working with Orbit Homes for around a year to ensure a scheme which will provide the right environment for residents and also integrate into the existing neighbourhood.

“The location is very sustainable and we have had very constructive dealings with the local authority when drawing up our plans.

“We had positive feedback from the public event and the quality and content of our proposal appeared to be welcomed by the members of the Development Review Forum. The scheme will offer a significant addition to the neighbourhood both in employment terms and much needed affordable housing.”

Major £5m trade park could be built in town

A MAJOR new £5million trade park could be developed at a key site in Leamington, creating 30 new jobs.

Deeley Properties has submitted a planning application to create the park on land at Queensway in the town.

The development would house a Travis Perkins builders’ merchants as well as other group brands including Toolstation.

The scheme, on a 2.8 acre site currently owned by Coventry-based Deeley Properties, would be housed in two buildings with dedicated yard and parking areas, all accessible from Tachbrook Park Drive.

The land has been unused since engineering firm AL-KO Kober relocated to Southam.

The developers hope that a decision will be taken this summer and if approved would also allow the start of work on a new Aldi foodstore which already has consent on an adjacent site.

Martin Meech of Travis Perkins said: “This new development will allow us to bring all of our brands together in one location offering more than 100,000 products to trade professionals.

“They will sit alongside Travis Perkins, the main builders merchant, and all act as a one stop shop for trade professionals in the district. Travis Perkins is keen to develop local employment relationships and hope that the staff for this new development can be drawn locally – it offers a great opportunity for the district and its residents.”

As part of the project, a pedestrian and cycle path would be constructed linking Tachbrook Park Drive and Queensway.

The creation of the Aldi supermarket along with the proposed adjacent extra care development planned by Deeley Properties for Orbit Homes would bring the site back into full use.

Peter Deeley of Deeley Group, said: “We believe this is the perfect mix of uses for the whole site.

“It will bring new facilities, much-needed employment and new affordable housing to what is a key location for the town

“It has taken a great deal of work and collaboration to reach this point and we are very hopeful that this trade business scheme will win approval allowing work to start on site by the autumn.”