The decline of Leicester

[FoxyPalace.com]

Hi, just wondering what others thoughts are of the town centre in general ? We moved 20 years ago from Blaby to Torquay. We still go back regularly usually staying in Market Harborough - this trip when visiting the centre (Leicester) I was pretty shocked how bad it visually looked. I was talking to my parents who also agreed - seems if we ever moved back I could only live in Market Harborough or similar surrounding villages with its own identity. 

[DennisNedry]

I'd argue Blaby's decline is just as bad if not worse TBF.

 

But yeah in general Leicester has followed the same trajectory as most city centres over recent decades. 

[danny.]

Most of the country has declined over the last 20 years. Leicester included.

[kenny]

Just now, DennisNedry said:

I'd argue Blaby's decline is just as bad if not worse TBF.

 

But yeah in general Leicester has followed the same trajectory as most city centres over recent decades. 

We used to be ahead of Nottingham in every metric. The lack of investment in the city centre means we are now behind Nottingham and derby.

 

Unfortunately there is a pride in the planning department in blocking development meaning there is little investment. Fosse park is increasingly taking over from the town centre.

 

 

[StanSP]

Much like many other town centres and high streets. 

 

Online shopping and dearer business rates have been a catalyst for it

[urban.spaceman]

PSR

[Tommy G]

It's naff - rarely go in, maybe once or twice a year. 

[Sampson]

In Portsmouth where I lived for many years it’s the same too - they’ve tried to spruce up the centre with kids play areas and free table tennis and stuff in the empty shops, it looks ok but it’s also clear just no one goes shopping anymore so the old shopping mall is full of half empty shops and so many closed buildings that no one maintains.

 

Since Covid all the night clubs are going the same way as it seems the students and youngsters aren’t interested in night clubs anymore either.

 

Reality is internet shopping has meant no one goes out on a Saturday to go browsing shops anymore so most town or city centres are just slowly getting run down and full of half empty buildings. Many of the smaller shopping malls are now basically empty of shops and more like museum pieces to what people did in the 1990s.

Edited 9 September 2025 by Sampson

[pmcla26]

31 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Much like many other town centres and high streets. 

 

Online shopping and dearer business rates have been a catalyst for it

Northampton is the same. 

[grobyfox1990]

Same as every other town centre in the developed world. Good pubs now though. Rutland and derby, two tailed lion, the boar, cherry tree, salmon is a good run. When I was growing up the only nightlife was soarpoint-highcross-mosh

[Stevosevic]

Bet there are loads of tacky dessert shops and vape shops too? 

[VLC86]

Has anyone tried painting St George’s cross on roundabouts to put this right yet?

[Wymsey]

49 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Much like many other town centres and high streets. 

 

Online shopping and dearer business rates have been a catalyst for it

Plus the, perhaps, unnecessary rise of Turkish barber and vape shops etc - that have only gained momentum around 10 years ago.

Edited 9 September 2025 by Wymsey

[davieG]

1 hour ago, FoxyPalace.com said:

Hi, just wondering what others thoughts are of the town centre in general ? We moved 20 years ago from Blaby to Torquay. We still go back regularly usually staying in Market Harborough - this trip when visiting the centre (Leicester) I was pretty shocked how bad it visually looked. I was talking to my parents who also agreed - seems if we ever moved back I could only live in Market Harborough or similar surrounding villages with its own identity. 

It was in decline 20 years or more ago when I started this thread

 

[The boy Linacre]

If I'm being honest there will never be the demand for the shop venues/locations that Leicester has had.

If I'm not mistaken, aren't we looking to build some houses nationally??  Start in filling, just don't have these locations empty, then some of this housing shortage will be alleviated slightly if not more.

Sadly Leicester is a hole now, and I was born on St Matthews (as central as you can get) and lived there for 27 years.  And it really really saddens me as to what it has become, because my kids don't see it the way i do and the fondness for it and pride I have to come from it.

[Parafox]

9 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Plus the, perhaps, unnecessary rise of Turkish barber and vape shops etc - that have only gained momentum around 10 years ago.

In Hinckley, a small town with a population of around 50,000, 1 main shopping street and 1 not so main, there are 11 Turkish barbers, (even 2 that are opposite each other), at least 7 nail bars and 7 Polish/Eastern European mini markets, . 

 

 

 

 

Edited 9 September 2025 by Parafox

[Wymsey]

2 minutes ago, Parafox said:

In Hinckley, a small town with a population of around 50,000, 1 main shopping street and 1 not so main, there are 11 Turkish barbers, (even 2 that are opposite each other), at least 7 nail bars and 7 Polish/Eastern European mini markets, . 

 

 

 

 

Wow.

Wonder if they're all legitimate.

 

Am not sure if that's a good thing for the local economy, at least, particularly if they're not very busy with customers.

[davieG]

4 minutes ago, Parafox said:

In Hinckley, a small town with a population of around 50,000, 1 main shopping street and 1 not so main, there are 11 Turkish barbers, (even 2 that are opposite each other), at least 7 nail bars and 7 Polish/Eastern European mini markets, . 

 

 

 

 

Not forgetting all the Charity shops and Eating places.

[nnfox]

Out of town retail parks with good parking and the internet means that town and city centres are no longer shopping destinations.

 

Councils are desperate to hang on to the notion that they should be prime shopping centres but the days of getting decent foot traffic are long gone.  If you have money and want to spend it in retail, there really is no point in going into town.  Big high street brands know this with declining profits, so they close big stores that were once a reason to venture into city centres, to be replaced by pound shops, charity shops and bookmakers.

 

Set aside part of the town for butchers, bakers, independent retailers and make a feature of them.  Have a section with restaurants and bars, maybe dedicate some space to dome fun attractions.  Perhaps three quarters of most town and city centres should just be redeveloped for housing.

 

[davieG]

8 minutes ago, nnfox said:

Out of town retail parks with good parking and the internet means that town and city centres are no longer shopping destinations.

 

Councils are desperate to hang on to the notion that they should be prime shopping centres but the days of getting decent foot traffic are long gone.  If you have money and want to spend it in retail, there really is no point in going into town.  Big high street brands know this with declining profits, so they close big stores that were once a reason to venture into city centres, to be replaced by pound shops, charity shops and bookmakers.

 

Set aside part of the town for butchers, bakers, independent retailers and make a feature of them.  Have a section with restaurants and bars, maybe dedicate some space to dome fun attractions.  Perhaps three quarters of most town and city centres should just be redeveloped for housing.

 

One way to save them is to turn them into shopping Malls with, and I know it goes against the grain and Soulsby have a massive free carparking area/multi-story parking. It would also help to have free buses into the city from all outlying areas

[grobyfox1990]

31 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Plus the, perhaps, unnecessary rise of Turkish barber and vape shops etc - that have only gained momentum around 10 years ago.

Unnecessary? How else are good honest citizens supposed to launder the proceeds of crime? Not everyone can open a structure of offshore companies to hide it all. Your friendly Turkish barber is the easier option.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I know I'm in a minority but I can think of nothing worse than spending any length of time in Fosse Park

[StanSP]

49 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Plus the, perhaps, unnecessary rise of Turkish barber and vape shops etc - that have only gained momentum around 10 years ago.

You've narrowed it down quite precisely there. Not that I agree with it. Unnecessary? Why? 

 

 

[Houdini Logic]

I'm guessing all town centres have taken a hit over the last decade or so, and will continue to see an increase in empty shops, but I actually think Leicester has declined far less than others. In fact, there's parts of Leicester like St Martins, the cultural quarter, the restaurants near Highcross, and Jubilee Square during summer and Christmas, which have actually improved over the years. Some of them significantly. It depends where you go and what you're after. 

[RoboFox]

1 hour ago, pmcla26 said:

Northampton is the same. 

As someone who spends quite a bit of time in Northampton, its decline is far worse than Leicester's. The town centre is post-apocalyptic.