Myths vs Facts
Background
The relocation of Kenilworth School and the release of the old sites for housing were agreed years ago through the Local Plan and the school funding model. The current administration is now focused on securing the best quality housing scheme within those inherited constraints.
Many of the constraints on this site arise from earlier democratic decisions and funding arrangements made to deliver a desperately needed new school. The current Green/Labour administration did not create those constraints but has taken deliberate steps to improve control, affordability and environmental quality within them.
Strong debate about design and outcomes is healthy. Allegations aimed at District Council workers of corruption, dirty tricks or bad faith without evidence are not.
In this blog we respond to some groundless complaints that have appeared recently in social media, some of them impugning innocent council workers.
First though, we ought to say what is genuinely open for influence now…
While the principle of housing is fixed, the following are proper and legitimate matters for debate and objection in the current planning application:
- Mix of homes (downsizers, young people, family homes)
- Affordable housing type and tenure
- Density and building heights
- Layout and street design
- Amount and quality of open space
- Retention of trees and landscape features
- Access, traffic and parking
- Environmental performance and net-zero standards
This is where community input can still make a real difference.
Photo by 28DaysLater Urban Exploring Forums
MYTH 1
“The council could still choose to reuse the site for community facilities or a hospital instead of housing.”
FACTS
The land use was fixed years ago in the Warwick Local Plan and the school relocation was funded on the explicit basis that the former sites would be released for housing once vacated. Reopening the land use now would require a Local Plan change and would expose the council to major grant clawback and financial liability. This is not a free policy choice.
MYTH 2
“Homes England ignored consultation feedback and refused to consider other options.”
FACTS
At this stage consultation is about how housing is delivered (layout, density, access, green space, design) – not whether the site should be housing. Homes England is not legally able to propose hospitals, health centres or alternative land uses on a site already allocated and contractually committed for housing. Those questions were settled earlier in the democratic planning process.
MYTH 3
“The demolition approval is being rushed through to block objections and force the scheme through.”
FACTS
The demolition “prior approval” is a national statutory process with a fixed 28-day timetable set by Parliament. It deals only with how demolition is carried out (noise, dust, traffic, restoration). It does not grant permission to build anything, does not fix the redevelopment, and does not prejudice the later housing decision. The full planning application – which determines what is built – is subject to full consultation and a councillor decision.
MYTH 4
“Homes England is a Conservative quango riding roughshod over democracy, and a new government could change this.”
FACTS
Homes England has no planning powers and cannot override councillors. It is delivering Warwick’s own Local Plan allocation and a funding arrangement approved by elected members at the time. Once infrastructure grants are awarded and drawn down, their conditions are legally binding and overseen by the Treasury and National Audit Office. Ministers cannot simply waive them retrospectively for individual sites. NHS capital funding also cannot replace housing-linked infrastructure funding or remove clawback liabilities.
MYTH 5
“Planners used dirty tricks, paid cronies to run a mock consultation, and timed this over Christmas to avoid scrutiny.”
FACTS
These allegations are unfounded. The consultation was run by the applicant’s appointed planning consultants, as is standard practice nationwide. The council does not appoint or pay consultation firms. The 28-day demolition timetable is set by law. IN any event this is not about the substantive redevelopment decisions, which will be taken through the full planning process by elected councillors. There is no evidence of misconduct, collusion or improper behaviour by officers.
MYTH 6
“The site is simply being handed to private developers for fat profits.”
FACTS
The current administration deliberately chose a development agreement model, not a simple land sale, in order to retain control over:
- Affordable housing levels (currently 40%)
- Environmental and energy standards
- Design quality
- Layout and open space
This approach was chosen specifically to avoid losing control and to secure better community outcomes.
MYTH 7
“‘Don’t demolish – reuse’ is a realistic and viable option for this site at this stage.”
FACTS
By the time the school relocated in 2023, the clearance of the old site had already become an unavoidable consequence of earlier planning and funding decisions. The buildings are surplus, obsolete and do not meet modern building, fire, accessibility or energy standards. No funded reuse proposal exists, and no public body has offered to finance the extensive refurbishment that would be required.
Demolition prior approval has now been lawfully granted under national planning rules. This gives the applicant a legal right to demolish, and the Council has no realistic mechanism to reverse that approval without acting unlawfully or incurring compensation liability.
Crucially, the relocation of the school was funded on the explicit assumption that the old sites would be cleared and released for housing. Retaining the buildings would risk breach of funding conditions and potential grant clawback, with significant cost to local taxpayers.
At this stage, retaining and reusing the former school buildings is neither legally, financially nor practically realistic. The proper democratic debate now concerns the quality of what replaces them, not whether buildings that are surplus, unfunded and non-compliant can still be saved.
MYTH 8
“The council is wasting time and money by delaying disposal of the site instead of getting on with redevelopment.”
FACTS
The delay in bringing the former school sites forward arose from decisions taken by the previous Conservative administration on both financing and delivery strategy. The sites were acquired and held using borrowing arranged on a variable interest basis, exposing the Council to rising interest costs as rates increased. In parallel, the previous administration pursued a delivery approach based on direct development or a joint venture, which was later assessed as not financially viable and high risk.
When the current Labour/Green administration took office, it inherited both the financing arrangements and a delivery model that was not capable of proceeding. It therefore paused the process in order to review options and replace an unworkable strategy with a deliverable one.
In 2025 the Cabinet deliberately changed course to a development agreement model, designed to reduce risk, accelerate delivery, retain control over standards, and secure high levels of affordable housing and environmental performance. That change unlocked progress and allowed the scheme to move forward.
Any additional cost and delay arose from the inherited financing and delivery choices. The current administration has acted to correct those decisions and bring the site forward in the most practical and controlled way available.
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