Ansty residents 'horrified' by Frasers Group's plans for new HQ

Residents living in a Warwickshire village said they were "horrified" by plans from a leading retailer to build its global headquarters nearby.

Frasers Group wants to relocate its existing campus from Shirebrook, in Derbyshire, to the village of Ansty.

The plans, submitted to Rugby Borough Council, could see 7,500 jobs and a £300m investment brought to the area.

A Frasers Group spokesperson said it had been engaging with partners and the local community for two years.

The retail giant, known for trading under the Sports Direct brand, also owns brands such as Flannels, Jack Wills and Evans Cycles.

Its proposed new campus would include office and retail space, a multi-storey car park and a hotel, as well as leisure and gym facilities, sports pitches and a helipad.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street described the plans as a "clear vote of confidence" for the region, after meeting Frasers Group CEO Michael Murray, when proposals were first announced.

But Graham Fox-Dowden, chairman of the Ansty Parish Council, said the "the quality of life" in the village "would change dramatically" if the development went ahead.

"It is enormous and frankly entirely inappropriate" he said of the proposed 275-acre (112-hectare) site.

Councillor Heather Timms, who represents Ansty, described the application as "totally opportunistic".

She said there were "plenty" of alternative brownfield sites the campus could be built on instead.

"We have a highly skilled workforce in Warwickshire with 85% employment," she said.

"If this goes ahead, development in the West Midlands green belt will be open season."

Ms Timms also questioned the number of jobs that would be coming to the region, as she urged residents to object against the development.

"These are warehouses dressed up as a campus," she told BBC CWR.

Frasers Group said its campus would be open to the public and would "deliver greater biodiversity and more varied habitats than currently exist".

Residents would be able to use public green space and "facilities including sports pitches, gym and conference space," if plans were approved, a spokesperson added.

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