The final and most disruptive stage of the Severn Trent sewerage replacement scheme started in Kenilworth on Thursday morning, with the closure of the Warwick Road to through traffic for a period of up to 25 weeks. The first morning was inevitably a little difficult as motorists found they way through the various diversion routes, but already today things seem a bit better. It’s amazing how quickly people adapt.

In the meantime the work on the new Waitrose store and carpark is advancing well, slightly ahead of schedule at present, and the re-vamp of the Talisman Square shopping precinct is also in progress. Next month the works commence on the various road layout changes necessary to to support these developments.

So it’s all happening in Kenilworth at the moment, and most people recognise the need for a bit of “pain” for a lot of future “gain”. The town centre shops and businesses are facing a tough time just now of course, and deserve the support of local residents to ensure they are there for the future.

The Kenilworth Town Centre Partnership, on which I represent the County Council, this week launched a “Count on Kenilworth” campaign to promote the town and local shops/businesses and a wide range of activities going on in the town over the next few months. The message is that Kenilworth is still very much open for business!