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davieG

City of Leicester & Leicestershire - The Good and Historical Stuff

By davieG, in General Chat

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davieG

davieG

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Leicester’s Grand Hotel set to return to its former glory as restoration work begins
Shopfronts along Granby Street will also receive a facelift


ByHannah RichardsonLocal Democracy Reporter
13:14, 5 DEC 2023



The Grand Hotel in Granby Street (Image: Google)

Work to reinstate the “lost character” of Leicester’s Grand Hotel has begun. The hotel, on the corner of Granby Street and Belvoir Street, will be restored to its traditional appearance, with designs based on historic photographs of the building.

Improvements will be made to the hotel’s entrance, with cleaning and repairs made to the oriel windows and balcony. Work to restore the existing canopy above the entrance is also planned.

The Mercure group previously said it also intends to reinstate the original sign that hung over the hotel, while rolling shutters could be replaced with wrought iron gates. The return to the hotel’s traditional frontage will also include improvements to the shopfronts along Granby Street.

READ MORE: Take two for bid to demolish Parcel Yard pub as councillors warned delay could jeopardise entire station revamp

The shops will be transformed so their exteriors tie in with the historic redesign, with signs replaced, fronts painted black and stallrisers – the area between the bottom of the window and the pavement – changed to granite. Attached to the planning approval granted in May last year is the condition that the right to repaint the hotel’s exterior without needing permission be removed to guarantee it remains traditional.

A grant of £700,000 has been awarded to Leicester City Council towards the cost of the restoration work from Heritage England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone funding which is intended for the restoration of historic buildings. The project is estimated to cost about £900,000 in total, with the hotel owners contributing £200,000 towards the project.


Work is expected to last around five months. Deputy city mayor Adam Clarke, who leads on climate, culture and the economy, said: “The restoration of the Grand Hotel’s historic street-level frontages is good news for Granby Street and the city centre.

 An artists impression of how the street could look 
An artists impression of how the street could look (Image: Leicester City Council)
“The Grand Hotel is a fine example of Leicester’s Victorian past and the city’s rich architectural heritage. It is a local landmark and has long been considered one of Leicester's most prestigious hotels. With the support of Historic England, this investment will help to restore the building to its former glory, create a much more attractive street scene, and make the area feel safer and more welcoming to all.

“It will also build on recent work to improve routes along Granby Street and Belvoir Street, and will help further improve the look and feel of this important gateway into the city centre.

“It’s important that we continue to invest in our historic city centre shopping streets to support local businesses, boost the city’s economy and create a place where many more people want to live, work and visit.”

Andrew Pring, asset and investment director at Jupiter Hotels which owns the Mercure group, said: “We are pleased to be working with both Historic England and Leicester City Council to restore the façade of the hotel on Granby Street close to the original design. This will be the first stage of further significant investment in the hotel, with plans to upgrade the internal areas of the hotel in 2024.”

Louise Brennan, Regional Director for the Midlands at Historic England, said: “This restoration work will be a welcome step in the revitalising of this wonderful area of Leicester. The Grand Hotel is a prestigious building, and we are looking forward to supporting the repair and refurbishment of its street-facing ground floor. Hopefully, this will encourage more people, both tourists and local residents, to step inside to see its fantastic interior and become part of this historic building’s future.”

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davieG

davieG

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Red Hill filling station on the A6 Loughborough Road, Birstall, Leicester
This petrol station became a Grade II listed building in 2012. It is an example of the futuristic Pegasus design created by Eliot Noyes for Mobil in the mid-1960s. The six remaining circular canopies at this filling station are thought to be the last surviving examples in the UK.
Photograph by Mat Fascione
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Trav Le Bleu

Trav Le Bleu

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10 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

Great…. But, they’re not throwing much money at it?  It’d take a fair bit more than £900k to sort all that out?

I guess the owners have to put most of the money.

Wolfox

Wolfox

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11 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

I guess the owners have to put most of the money.

It says in the article…. £700k grant and £200k owners 

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davieG

davieG

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24 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

BBC News - Leicester railway station pub can be demolished, council says

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-67652786

Another nice building goes, a shame they couldn't have found a solution which included it especially as they plan to fill the existing frontage with shops etc.

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SeCrEt FoX

SeCrEt FoX

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5 hours ago, davieG said:

Another nice building goes, a shame they couldn't have found a solution which included it especially as they plan to fill the existing frontage with shops etc.

Should knock them horrible towers down opposite instead and build from there.

Langston

Langston

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I wouldn't be wholly against demolishing the Parcel Yard (despite it being a relatively nice building)...

 

...but I don't have even the slightest slither of faith that this new station frontage won't end up getting scaled back repeatedly to the point it ends up as unambitious as nigh on every other development the city has had to endure.

Paninistickers

Paninistickers

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8 hours ago, davieG said:

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ON THE 10th DECEMBER 1987.
John Kendall and Sydney Draper fled Gartree prison in a hijacked helicopter. Kendall was caught 10 days later but Draper stayed on the run for more than a year.

I've looked on YouTube a couple of times in the last to find the CCTV of this and surprisingly nobody has ever uploaded it. 

 

A thrilling escape. Worthy of a film 

 

 

Parafox

Parafox

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On 10/12/2023 at 18:13, Paninistickers said:

I've looked on YouTube a couple of times in the last to find the CCTV of this and surprisingly nobody has ever uploaded it. 

 

A thrilling escape. Worthy of a film 

 

 

 

If they can make a film of the train robbers and Ronnie Biggs, why not this?

 

Maybe the notoriety of the Biggs gang and the event itself makes a better story than a gangland boss and a murderer?

Paninistickers

Paninistickers

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34 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

If they can make a film of the train robbers and Ronnie Biggs, why not this?

 

Maybe the notoriety of the Biggs gang and the event itself makes a better story than a gangland boss and a murderer?

A true crime film where 99% of the public won't know the outcome. Add a sprinkle of poetic licence and there's a British crime thriller ready to pitch. Worth jetting off to Hollywood and go pitch a cigar chomping, bath robed fat Jewish guy getting out a hot tub

davieG

davieG

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https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-scenes-in-and-around-leicester-1935-36-1936-online?fbclid=IwAR2q2TQ63U1NdX0UXRBHOcodpecN6jlCs-4EENSUoENSBV9viAUJfvqg4Xs

 

Shot by a Mr C. Lawrence in a slightly rough and ready style familiar with 9.5mm film this portrait of mid 1930s Leicester shows a city celebrating the Silver Jubilee of 1935. A highlight is an impressive parade making its way along Belgrave Gate close to St Mark's Church around half way through the reel. A much earlier heritage is also to be seen with views of excavations being carried out on the Roman Jewry Wall.

davieG

davieG

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image.png.962d94a0c7cd0a2ca59ce0a799a7dd0a.png

The Stag and Pheasant Hotel, centre, with the Tower pub, next door up. Behind the bus queue is one of the stores of W A Lea and Sons, seen here on Humberstone Gate (where the Haymarket Centre is now), Leicester, in the 1950s

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