Plans submitted to transform car park into residential and retail scheme

Plans submitted to transform car park into residential and retail schemeA planning application to transform a Kenilworth car park into residential accommodation and two new shops has been submitted.Cobalt Estates has submitted an application to Warwick District Council to build 44 residential flats across four storeys, with two new retail units on the ground floor, on the site of Talisman Shopping Centre’s car park.A previous scheme to build student accommodation and retail units on the car park was granted planning permission by Warwick District Council in 2016, but the build did not go ahead due to the changing commercial landscape.This current application is for a slightly smaller building and is for the general residential market rather than students. It also features two retail units instead of the five in the previous scheme.An in-person update on the plans held by Cobalt Estates at the end of May helped inform the final planning application.Hugo Hawkings, chief executive of Discovery Properties, said the application shows commitment to continued investment in Talisman Shopping Centre.He said: “We are really pleased to submit these plans for what we believe to be the final piece of development of the centre. We believe bringing residential dwellings into the heart of the scheme will add life to the centre particularly outside the usual trading hours.”“It has been a long time coming, but due to things moving very quickly in commercial property and the challenges brought about by the pandemic, we are pleased the new plans have now gone in. “If our application is successful, we would look to start construction within a year of gaining consent and the scheme will take about 18 months to construct.“We are also looking forward to helping exciting new businesses move into the two new retail class E units created by this development.”