Here are the biggest planning stories from the last two weeks in and around Warwick.

Warwick Castle Hotel

Planners have granted permission for a controversial 60-bed hotel at Warwick Castle to be built.

Nearly 100 objections have been made by residents but Warwick District Council's planning committee approved the planning application which also included an extension to an existing restaurant, a play area and an elevated walkway.

But councillors were split over the decision with Cllr Terry Morris saying: "Either the hotel is there to service visitors to the castle or it is there for the benefit of the town. We cannot argue it both ways.

"If you are staying in a hotel in the castle grounds that has an onsite restaurant you are probably going to eat there. I am yet to be convinced of the public benefit."

See the application here.

The hotel will be built in part on the Stratford Road car park (Image by Steve Chatterley via SWNS)

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Myton School Funding

Warwickshire County Council has approved funding for a new £6million sixth form block at Myton School.

Plans for the school's expansion were revealed last month, and the new building is expected to be open for September 2023.

It will also double up as temporary accommodation for Oakley Grove School pupils until their own classrooms are built

Read the full story here.

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30,000 sq ft Industrial Unit

Work has begun on a 30,000 sq ft industrial unit at Warwick's Tournament Fields Business Park.

Owned by Clowes Developments, the unit has no end user in sight yet.

But developer Paul Shanley said he was confident a contract would be signed before the unit was finished.

"As experienced national developers, we have an eye for identifying strategically located business parks opportunities, which tick the boxes for our target market," he said.

"We are confident of securing an occupier for plot 1003 in advance of construction works being completed - watch this space."

See the story here.

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Car Sales Office to Aparments

Plans to turn a former car sales office on Emscote Road into two two-bed apartments have been revealed.

The owners already have permission to knock the building down and rebuild it into offices.

But they said the pandemic had turned people away from office working, and they think two flats would make more commercial sense.

Read more here.