Two town councils have objected to plans to replace a canalside pub with a five-storey block of flats.

An application to knock down the Waterside Inn and replace it with a 42-bed apartment building has been submitted by developers Cresco Investors Limited.

The company, which plans to build a mixture of one, two and three bed flats, said it has been unable to find a new tenant for the currently-closed Queensway pub.

"It was shown to several operators who had an active requirement to find a premises to lease; however, their response was universally negative," the application said.

The plans also include provision for 42 parking spaces - 34 for electric vehicles - as well as a cycle link across the Fords Fields.

But Warwick Town Council's planning committee, which has objected to the application, said there would not be enough parking spaces..

The council also said there were "concerns about the impact on the canal conservation area" and that the size of the development was not in keeping with the surroundings.

A CGI image of the block of flats (Image via planning application)

Leamington Spa Town Council has also lodged an objection.

Having originally voiced its opinion in January, the council has submitted a second statement to support objections raised by other local authorities.

"Whilst recognising this site lies just outside the Leamington Spa boundary, and in principle supporting the appropriate redevelopment of this brownfield site, Leamington Spa Town Council has concerns about the impact on its infrastructure and canal conservation area of this proposed development," the statement said.

LSTC agreed with its Warwick counterparts that there was not enough parking. Adding concerns about cycling provision, massing on the conservation area and traffic.

The council also said that there was not enough information on how many of the flats would be sold as affordable housing.

Other Objections

As well as objections from three residents, WDC conservation, WDC environmental health, the lead local flood authority (LLFA), Warwickshire County Council Landscaping and the Canal & Rivers Trust have all objected.

WCC highways said there needs to be traffic survey for the shared road with the nearby McDonalds as well as a study into the nearby pedestrian crossings.

The county council's flood risk management team said: "There appears to be no sustainable drainage proposed in the final design layout."

And the council's landscaping team said the flats would be damaging to the conservation area.

"The scale, height and mass of the building is far too dominant in this location and doesn't relate to the scale of nearby development," its objection statement said.

Whilst the Canal & River Trust added: "Whilst we do not have any objection in principle to its demolition and replacement, we do however have concerns over the scale and massing of the proposed apartment building and the likely visual impact it would have on the character and appearance of the canal conservation area."

(Header image by Robin Stott via geograph.org.uk)