Long live the green: Elizabeth Park project underway connecting Royal Leamington Spa and Warwick

Work is underway on a vibrant new public park which will link the towns of Royal Leamington Spa and Warwick.

Named Elizabeth Park in memory of the late Queen, this new space will run alongside the River Leam, creating a “green corridor” between the two towns.

The plan features wetland areas, wildflower meadows, amenity grassland, broadleaf woodland, a riverside pathway, an exercise trail, and a cycle track.

The project has been spearheaded by Warwick District Council in partnership with Homes England, with the aim of creating an attractive new park, strengthening connections between the two towns, and providing a new, accessible green space for local people.

The first phase of the project, set to finish this year, will include landscaping, the creation of footpaths, and tree-planting, with seeding for a future wildlife meadow set to follow

The partnership was formed following Homes England’s purchase of the Riverside House site, the former headquarters of Warwick District Council, in 2024. Delivery of Elizabeth Park was a condition of that land sale.

The first phase of the project, set to finish this year, will include landscaping, the creation of footpaths, and tree-planting, with seeding for a future wildlife meadow set to follow.

Phase two will see the Edmondscote Athletics Track, situated near Princes Drive, relocated to make way for the park, allowing access to existing green spaces west of the track and along the River Avon, with the latter process forming phase three of the plan.

Sport England’s support for the new park is contingent on the timely construction of a replacement athletics facility as part of the Fusiliers Way Masterplan. So, if development on this stalls, it will likely delay the construction of Elizabeth Park.

This exciting project will not only create a wonderful new public park for Leamington and Warwick but will also provide an attractive traffic-free route between the two towns

Cllr Will Roberts, WDC Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood

Councillor Will Roberts, Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood, stated: “This exciting project will not only create a wonderful new public park for Leamington and Warwick but will also provide an attractive traffic-free route between the two towns.”

He added that the park was “part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing green spaces across the district and improving accessibility for walking, cycling, and sport”.

Ragu Sittambalam, Senior Planning and Enabling Manager at Homes England, said the planned park “stands as one of our commitments, having purchased the Riverside House site in 2024, which has now been demolished”.

He also noted that they would “deliver new homes”, and were “grateful to the community for their input and cooperation”. Sittambalam hoped that Elizabeth Park would “contribute to the wider green corridor connecting Warwick and Leamington Spa”.

The residential development accompanying the new park will see 74 houses constructed on the Riverside House land by Homes England – including 30 one-bed units, 31% more than the required amount by Warwick District Council.

The council has stated the parkland will remain open throughout development, with any disruption kept to a minimum

The planning report justified this decision given the site’s proximity to Leamington town centre, meaning “higher densities are more appropriate”.

The council has stated the parkland will remain open throughout development, with any disruption kept to a minimum.

We can only hope the park can live up to its namesake, if not in affordability, at the very least in terms of longevity and commitment to public service.