Brakes’ stadium plan is back on track

By Andy Mitchell

Leamington’s new stadium

THE leader of the council behind Leamington’s new stadium says he is ‘keen’ to turn the dream into reality.

Council officers recently presented to fans of the Step 3 promotion chasers plans for a community stadium at the heart of a wider masterplan that includes a separate athletics track, housing and business space.

Warwick District Council is proposing a 4,000-capacity ground, including a three-storey building that houses the main stand, which will be run autonomously by the club through a 150- year lease at a peppercorn rent.

It is much more centrally located than the club’s current base at The New Windmill, land that the council would like to use as a gypsy traveller site if plans comes together.

Leading councillors are scheduled to consider an initial report in June with a public consultation set to take place in August before the biggest hurdle at the back end of the calendar year – nailing down financial commitments.

There are various other stages to go through before a tentative target date of starting building work in early 2027 in order to open in July 2028.

Councillor Ian Davison, the leader of the Green Party-Labour coalition that took charge of the district council in May 2023, confirmed in-principle support for a project that has been in the pipeline for some years.

Despite acknowledging a number of potential hurdles, he said: “I am confident something can come together.

“Politics is full of competing priorities, if the council spends a few million on this then that is a few million less on something else.

“There are bits in there that we want to have, they may not all happen but I am sure something will happen. I am very keen that we don’t just leave it as a possibility for decades, that would be the worst outcome.

“It will be a challenge, how much money and political will there is not only from us but other stakeholders is among those. It is complex but we are looking for a way forward.”