HS2 has been given permission to build a major compound along the A46 at Stoneleigh, by councillors.

Last week, Warwick District Council's planning committee gave the green light to the high speed rail developer to expand Highways England's former site on Stoneleigh Road to 30 hectares.

HS2 has been given permission to develop the farmland into a compound for up to seven years, but has been told it must restore the site back to how it is now within that time period.

Councillors spent much of the discussion last week making sure granting planning permission would not allow the green belt site to be developed further down the line, using the fact it has been built on temporarily as a reason for future development.

Cllr Lowell Williams said: “I think most casual observers and residents on Stoneleigh will see another piece of green belt land obliterated by High Speed Two.

"You [officers] have argued there is a public worth in the construction of a major infrastructure project - there will be different opinions on whether that adds worth or not, not just locally but throughout the country."

He added: “I want cast iron certainty that there is no chance that anything could happen to that land other than it being restored absolutely to the green belt in its prior state."

The Green party councillor was told by officers the fact the site had been developed on temporarily would be given “absolutely minimal” weighting if another application to build on the land was submitted in the future.

Councillors were also told there would be no increase in HGV movements in the area.

The outline of the proposed HS2 compound next to the A46 (image via HS2)

Recommending the application be granted, a council report said: "There is an existing construction compound being used to deliver a section of the route and the proposal would allow for an extension of the existing compound to facilitate storage and management of materials as well as providing a new access off Stoneleigh Road for all associated construction traffic.

"The proposal would provide several benefits, including reducing construction traffic on local roads and minimising interaction with peak times on the road network.

"The proposal would give rise to a series of environmental impacts which have been considered within this assessment.

"It is considered that the potential impacts of the development can be mitigated to an acceptable extent and, importantly, there would not be any permanent adverse impacts because of the temporary nature of the development."

HS2 has also recently been given planning permission to build a new roundabout on Stoneleigh Road.

But until this is built, a new T-junction would provide temporary access to the compound.

The application was approved with 12 votes for and one abstention.

See the full application here.

The updated plans for the Stoneleigh Road compound (image via HS2)