A councillor urged the public to look past "negative press" around the cost of Warwick District Council's plans to bring a derelict car park back into use.

The district-owned multi-storey car park on Linen Street, Warwick, has been closed to the public since 2021 due to its condition deteriorating over time, particularly on higher floors.

Some basement parking was maintained as part of a contract with private leaseholders living on Martinique Square and The Woolpack, Warwick, until ongoing condition checks resulted in its complete closure in March 2026.

The site has been an unshakable headache for the authority with repair or demolition options restricted by neighbouring buildings and the town centre road that runs past it.

The district's cabinet – panel of Green and Labour councillors in charge of major service areas – approved a £235,000 feasibility study to assess whether the preferred option of renovating parts of it with a view to reopening some public parking could be achieved.

Leader Cllr Ian Davison paid tribute to deputy chief executive Darren Knight's work to find a way forward.

"It is a tricky one and the temptation is to leave it to someone else but he (Mr Knight) and I are determined that we move forward on it," said the leader.

Despite the chunky bill, councillors from all parties welcomed those in charge for biting the bullet.

Scrutiny chair Cllr Andrew Milton noted it had been pushed into the "too difficult pile for a long time" and congratulated council officials for their openness on such a thorny issue.

"This would have been an easy one to put into confidential papers but it is good that it is out there in the open," he said.

All opposition groups welcomed the step forward with independent Cllr Paul Wightman, saying: "We know all the options are not straightforward, including negative press about the cost of the feasibility study, but we recognise that is an essential first step to bringing it back into some productive community use.

"We hope there will be as many spaces (made available) as possible at the end of the process because they are extremely short (of parking) in the centre of Warwick. The more we can do to add extra spaces, the better."

Cllr Davison confirmed the gateway review – assessment of what the feasibility study says – should come forward "at the end of this year".

"We are hoping that says it is viable to put it back into some use as a public car park as well, which may well mean removing some of the higher floors," he said.

He concluded by thanking residents affected by the complete closure, adding that the emergency repairs to enable them to move back in "will hopefully be done soon".

The plans were signed off by cabinet members without dissent.