Warwick District Council (WDC) has approved plans for the refurbishment of a Grade II-listed former church in Leamington Spa to provide a new home for the Loft Theatre Company.

The former United Reform Church building on Spencer Street will be extended and revamped as part of the project to create a new performance centre, which will establish a new focal point for the arts and creative industries in the town. Plans to overhaul the former church will also contribute towards the first phase of WDC's five-year regeneration strategy for the Spencer Yard area, which will result in the mixed-use redevelopment of the riverside area.

The Spencer Yard revamp forms part of a £14m Creative Uplift Programme in Leamington Spa, which is being led by the council's enterprise team and has been backed by a range of private and public sector groups. Developer City Spirit Developments will carry out the redevelopment of the Loft theatre.