Is the City of Leicester a dump?

[Rob1742]

The only people that are literally running it down are the councillors and planners both past and present.

We had a wealth of roman remains and artifacts that have been built over or destroyed.

We're still pulling down or fatally neglecting architectural, historical and engineering gems to build bland replacements that could easily have been built elsewhere

Spot on DavieG, we have lost lot of our heritage that should not have been destroyed.

I don't like to say Leicester is a pit, it is a fact and a real shame it has been destroyed over the years.

And I am not comparing Leicester with Oxford, what I am saying is we have destroyed our heritage, we don't have enough decent spots within Leicester, which is driving the peopl who have money to spend, to spend it elsewhere.

It is more a case of Leicester hasn't enough to offer, rather than other places are better. I don't like driving for an hour or two to have lunch, shop or have an evening out, but Leicester just does not offer that option in reality in a quality way, so you have to get away and spend your cash elsewhere.

I spend more time and money in the City centres of Norwich, Canbridge, Newcastle, London and Birmingham than I do Leicester, and I certainly wouldn't do that if it had enough to keep me here.

If the council had not helped destroy it over the years, more people would want to come, more money would be spent in the City and it oils thrice. The council has to take a good deal of responsibility in the way it has changed over the years, and not for the better.

Edited 16 November 2014 by Rob1742

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Everyone looks poor in Leicester, you worry you might catch Ebola.

 

ROLLS EYES.

 

But I agree with you on the Cosy Club, great how they've converted the space, just wish it wasn't so dark.

[ScouseFox]

That's the British way. I'm sure every other town and city in this country is the same.

not here brother which is why it's the best city in the country isn't it

[Webbo]

not here brother which is why it's the best city in the country isn't it

Liverpool? Ethiopian Band Aid have just recorded a single for it.

[Spudulike]

Liverpool is one of those cities where you get the impression those that live there think it's paradise. Swansea is the same. In my opinion, they're no different from any other cities in that they have good parts and not so good parts.

 

Leicester people, in general, aren't like that. They like to highlight the bad points and be generally negative. Perhaps you have to live away for a time to appreciate it.

[Dr The Singh]

With a new double storey car park at LRI, we will defo gone up on the city ratings

[lavrentis]

leicester needs more small shops / urban clothing shops

[Samilktray]

leicester needs more small shops / urban clothing shops

We have 1 of the most well respected streetwear stores in Europe here.

[lavrentis]

We have 1 of the most well respected streetwear stores in Europe here.

 

i'll have a guess at Pilot ?

[Samilktray]

i'll have a guess at Pilot ?

Wellgosh

[lavrentis]

Wellgosh

 

true actually, always have a few penfield items there

[absolutelegend]

leicester needs more small shops / urban clothing shops

I prefer my clothing shops in the countryside

[Spudulike]

Sod the country, this is Leicester...http://www.jonestheplanner.co.uk/2011/09/universities-of-leicester.html

Edited 18 November 2014 by Spudulike

[MrSpaM]

The Holiday Inn is the next thing that getting the Soulsby treatment

[babylad92]

I took my missus and girls to Stratford-upon-Avon on the weekend, absolutely lovely town that. It's a genuine shame Leicester wasn't entirely modelled on that.

 

In fact, I was even astounded by the urban beauty of Nottingham when I first went there for a Forest game in 2004/05. 

 

That said, Leicester isn't that bad. At least we're not as grim as Birmingham. 

 

Actually, what's the point of this thread? Have any of you seen Derby or Coventry? 

Edited 21 November 2014 by babylad92

[Babylon]

The Holiday Inn is the next thing that getting the Soulsby treatment

What's he doing... making the roads a shared space? Banning all cars from going within 200metres?

[davieG]

Landmark buildings re-opening in Leicester city centre

By IFrodsham  |  Posted: December 16, 2014

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  The former Spanky's site in Welford Place

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  The new Fat Budha bar

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  The former Spanky's site in Welford Place

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  The new Fat Budha bar

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Two landmark city buildings have been given new leases of life.

The curved Victorian building on the corner of Welford Place and Pocklington’s Walk is being turned into a pizza restaurant.

 

 

 

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And former real ale pub The Shakespeare’s Head, in Southgates, has been re-opened as a sports bar.

The Victorian building - a Grade II-listed former businessmen’s club - has been home to a number of businesses in recent years, including the former Welford Place restaurant and a nightclub.

 

The new pizza restaurant, called Peter and That’s Enough Pizzeria, is due to open on February 14 next year, and will create 15 full and part-time jobs.

Raffaele Russo, founder of Peter’s, said: “We feel like Leicester has a void in terms of what we do, which is provide our customers with a casual dining experience with great pizza.

“We aim to be a destination venue, rather than a stop-off point, and want our customers to feel that it is worth the extra five minute’s walk to get there.”

The restaurant, which will feature upcycled furniture that is available to buy, will be the second Peter’s branch. The first branch opened in Loughborough more than a year ago.

 

The pizzas will cost between £6 and £12 and will feature ingredients such as salami and black truffle.

Peter’s will also offer a breakfast option, where customers can create their own version of pizzas using a scrambled egg base and an assortment of toppings.

 

Raffaele said: “We value our products and ingredients, which are from both the south of Italy and locally in Leicestershire.

“We want our customers to feel that they can come and spend between £10 to £15 and still feel like they have had a good evening.

 

“We don’t want to be an Italian restaurant. We like to think of ourselves as an English pizzeria with a community atmosphere.

“We love the location because it’s relatively close to De Montfort University. We’re very passionate about it and it’s very important to us.

 

“Our demographic currently consists of 50 per cent students and 50 per cent from the local community.”

Rafaele also runs Loughborough student lettings agency Loc8me.

 

The Shakespeare’s Head, a 1960s pub which overlooks Southgates underpass, shut in 2012 after the site was sold by the brewery that owned it. 

It has now re-opened as Fat Budha, which is described as a sports bar, grill and cafe.

 

The Shakespeare’s Head was the Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub Of The Month in May 2006, and was included in the Good Beer Guide each year from 2006 until its closure in 2012.

Local Camra chairman Keith Williams said: “It used to be one of the best pubs in town for real ale but the brewery that used to own it - Oakwell Brewery in Barnsley - sold all its pubs off."

 

The new bar is open from 6pm until 2am each day.

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Landmark-buildings-opening-Leicester-city-centre/story-25717757-detail/story.html#ixzz3M4LkcxHB 

Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook

[lavrentis]

I prefer my clothing shops in the countryside

 

you buy your clothes from a village?

[Thracian]

Many outsiders see Leicester as a no go area. It has far fewer visitors than the little town of Stratford yet it's a much greater nightmare for the motorist because Soulsby seems to see every car as "the enemy".

 

He's not undertaken a project or two, he's turned the town into a building site. Not for a few weeks or months but for years and to such an extent it is even hard for resident motorists to plot a sensible route to the centre.

 

And there's more to come. The old and now replaced food hall in the market will be coming down soon and other long-term projects remain ongoing. Happy days. 

 

People have talked about the big shopping centre leaving other areas desolate and you've only got to count the market footfall to know that - or take a look at the mini ghost town that's known as the Silver Arcade.

 

Newly refurbished the place is beautiful but a nightmare to access and so few seem to want to trade there.It just stands almost empty yet within sight of the clock tower - hardly an enhancing image of a thriving city. 

 

What a white elephant and what a shame.

[Voll Blau]

Many outsiders see Leicester as a no go area. It has far fewer visitors than the little town of Stratford yet it's a much greater nightmare for the motorist because Soulsby seems to see every car as "the enemy".

 

Well that's a bit of an anomaly, Shakespeare was born there after all. Surely it's somewhere most foreign tourists think to go ahead of our major cities?

[Guest MattP]

Well that's a bit of an anomaly, Shakespeare was born there after all. Surely it's somewhere most foreign tourists think to go ahead of our major cities?

 

Beat me to it, Stratford's whole tourism is pretty much based on William Shakespeare I'd imagine.

 

Back on point, it might be a dump but it's bloody funny at times, two lads just having a fight today next to Clock Tower, people just walking past without a care in the World

[Parafox]

I have no idea, but referring to my reponse in another thread, all of the services are under the road or pavements. Anyone of these could be the cause of the disruption.

"BSI standards have taken a pounding", what does that mean? BSI standards are for manufactured products such as, pipes, stone, asphalt, concrete etc. they are rarely manufactured on site unless the readymix or aphalt plants are sited on the job such as on an airfield or motorway.

All of the areas you refer to go back to mediaeval times, sewers, water, electricity and gas infrastructure was laid down during the early part of the last century, when you start exposing old stuff you never know what you'I l find. I very much doubt that when the city fathers decided to pedestrianise certain areas, they thought oh we'll rip out all the services and replace with new while we're about it.

The other thing is that disrupting services to the buildings can't happen at the same time unless it for a short period. Very often temporary supply has to be in place before a cut off of the old.

Finally, when you dig something up and fill it in, it takes time to settle, which requires going back and re-levelling.

Of course Leicester may have given contracts to contractors who haven't performed but you can't tar everyone with the same brush.

 

Would they be BSI-approved tar and brushes?

[Smudge]

Would they be BSI-approved tar and brushes?

:xmasbiggrin:

[davieG]

More than £26 million to be ploughed into regenerating Leicester's run-down waterside area

By danjmartin  |  Posted: January 05, 2015

The 100 acres of Leicester's waterside to be regernerated

 Comments (0)

Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has outlined a multi-million pound scheme to regenerate around 100 acres of run-down riverside land.

The council has secured more than £26 million of Government cash to spend on preparing sites on the banks of the River Soar for private development.

Much of the area is currently disused former industrial land in private ownership.

The council is hoping it will be developed into a “thriving neighbourhood” with office space, light industry and a mixture of family housing and apartments.

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The authority is holding a consultation on its plans, which it hopes will take shape over the next 10 to 15 years on sites around Bath Lane and Frog Island.

Sir Peter said: “This will be the largest regeneration scheme Leicester has seen in two decades, since we transformed the Bede Park area through the City Challenge.

“We have an ambitious, long-term vision to transform the waterside area into a thriving neighbourhood with great places to live, space for businesses to flourish and attractive links between the riverside and the city centre.”

The vision for the riverside includes developing Soar Island, a city centre destination to help encourage more public access to the waterfront, establishing the river and canal as a hub for water-based and leisure activities and improving links for cyclists and pedestrians to nearby Abbey and Rally parks.

The proposed Waterside area is bordered by a stretch of the River Soar to the west, and the A6 St Margaret’s Way to the east.

The Government cash will be used to acquire plots of privately owned land so they can be made available for redevelopment. The cash will also pay for transport infrastructure, such as new roads, to draw in private investment.

Any land purchased by the council will be sold off.

Previous building projects to regenerate the area have gained planning consent but failed to materialise through a lack of cash.

But Sir Peter said that this time round, the Government cash would pave the way for fresh development.

Work is already underway to convert Friars Mill into a £6 million “business workspace”. The city council project was made possible after the authority gained £4 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

The council said that if its plan for the Waterside was adopted, it would help the authority to “encourage new development and attract further investment into the area” by giving it “more power to bring unused buildings or land back into use”.

Sir Peter said: “Over the decades, the Waterside area has suffered badly through the closure of key industries.

“This has left many sites derelict, unused and ugly. Taken together, this creates a very negative impression of this important gateway into the city.

“I am confident that with the right development partners, the regeneration of Waterside could be the biggest transformation Leicester has seen since we breathed new life into Bede Island with City Challenge in the 1990s.”

Chairman of the Leicester Civic Society Stuart Bailey said: “This is long overdue.

“There’s a great wedge of the city that is frankly embarrassing because it has been overlooked and ignored for years.

“It has fallen into decline which is a shame because there is great potential.”

The six-week public consultation will begin on Friday, January 16.

Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/26-million-ploughed-regenerating-Leicester-run/story-25807938-detail/story.html#ixzz3O2GuRwHf 

Follow us: @Leicester_Merc on Twitter | leicestermercury on Facebook

[stez]

I moved away from leicester a few years ago, but go back regularly, and it's a far tidier, buildings-wise, town now than it used to be. That could just be that the familiarity I used to have bred contempt and that's no longer there.