Is the City of Leicester a dump?

[Stadt]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

Some taxis, buses and coaches could be charged to use main Leicester road
The radical measure is proposed to tackle harmful engine emissions

ByDan MartinPolitics Reporter
15:08, 25 OCT 2019
NEWS

32 ANPR cameras will monitor the inner ring road


Some taxis, buses, and coaches may have to pay to drive on Leicester’s inner ring road.

The A594, which circles the city centre, is a hotspot for carbon dioxide (NO2) pollution caused largely by exhaust fumes.

Vaughan Way in particular is heavily polluted with NO2 levels above those ordered by the government.

Now city council bosses are planning radical measures to charge cabs and buses using the road if their engines do not meet low polluting standards.

The charges, potentially of £8 a day for taxis and £50 a day for buses, would be enforced by 32 automatic number plate recognition cameras covering key routes onto and within the 3.75 mile inner ring road.

Exact locations for the cameras are still to be determined.

The council keeps the registration and engine model of all the vehicles and would be able to check them against the camera footage to determine if charges should be imposed.

If the plan is approved by the Government the inner ring road will become an enforced clean air zone by summer 2021.

Other traffic using the inner ring road will not be subject to charges.

While bringing in the enforcement the council is to bid for £6 million of Government cash to help owners replace their polluting hackney cabs or private hire cars with cleaner, greener ultra-low emission alternatives.

This would include grants potentially of up to £10,000 for electric hackney cabs and £5,000 for zero emission private hire vehicles.

Smaller grants of up to £1,000 would be available for private hire drivers wanting to change to a hybrid vehicle.

A public consultation on the proposals is due to take place from January 2020.

 

Deputy city mayor for environment and transportation, Adam Clarke, said: “We are determined to continue to accelerate the improvements we’ve seen in recent years and achieve our aim of healthier air for Leicester.

“We’re now recording the lowest levels of NO2 we’ve ever seen and this excellent news.

"But we know we still face challenges to bring the whole city within target limits and we now need to explore some fairly radical measures.

“We’ve been directed by Government to model a variety of different options for a clean air zone.

“Our surveys and studies show that a charging zone for just taxis, buses and coaches will get us over the line in terms of bringing the city within set limits for air pollution.

“That will give us a really solid foundation to build on and further improve air quality in the city.

“We know that taxi drivers will be affected and that’s why our proposal includes a bid for about £6million of funding to offer generous grants to help them make the shift to cleaner, greener vehicles and electric taxis.

“By working closely with the local bus companies, we have already made huge progress in reducing pollution from the city’s buses. We want to extend that work to our local taxi operators.”

The council has also announced a further £730,000 of capital investment in measures designed to further improve air quality in the city.

This includes £170,000 of match-funding for over £650,000 of investment in 28 new electric taxi charging points and 22 charging points in residential streets.

A further £120,000 will be used as match-funding for a £1.1million scheme to accelerate the city’s clean air zone for buses by fitting pollution filters to 168 buses.

It also includes £99,000 to upgrade the city’s existing network of air quality monitoring machines, and a further £100,000 for the council’s Eco-Schools programme.

Around £170,000 will buy four more ultra-low emission vehicles for the council’s own fleet including a new electric hackney cab for the council’s passenger and transport service, which will also be offered as a demonstration vehicle for local taxi operators.

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/taxis-buses-coaches-could-charged-3466251

Aye go after public transport, great idea, just genius that.

[Stadt]

Looks like the international hotel is coming down, Sky plaza next hopefully 

[Parafox]

On 25/10/2019 at 16:53, davieG said:

Some taxis, buses and coaches could be charged to use main Leicester road
The radical measure is proposed to tackle harmful engine emissions

ByDan MartinPolitics Reporter
15:08, 25 OCT 2019
NEWS

32 ANPR cameras will monitor the inner ring road


Some taxis, buses, and coaches may have to pay to drive on Leicester’s inner ring road.

The A594, which circles the city centre, is a hotspot for carbon dioxide (NO2) pollution caused largely by exhaust fumes.

Vaughan Way in particular is heavily polluted with NO2 levels above those ordered by the government.

Now city council bosses are planning radical measures to charge cabs and buses using the road if their engines do not meet low polluting standards.

The charges, potentially of £8 a day for taxis and £50 a day for buses, would be enforced by 32 automatic number plate recognition cameras covering key routes onto and within the 3.75 mile inner ring road.

Exact locations for the cameras are still to be determined.

The council keeps the registration and engine model of all the vehicles and would be able to check them against the camera footage to determine if charges should be imposed.

If the plan is approved by the Government the inner ring road will become an enforced clean air zone by summer 2021.

Other traffic using the inner ring road will not be subject to charges.

While bringing in the enforcement the council is to bid for £6 million of Government cash to help owners replace their polluting hackney cabs or private hire cars with cleaner, greener ultra-low emission alternatives.

This would include grants potentially of up to £10,000 for electric hackney cabs and £5,000 for zero emission private hire vehicles.

Smaller grants of up to £1,000 would be available for private hire drivers wanting to change to a hybrid vehicle.

A public consultation on the proposals is due to take place from January 2020.

 

Deputy city mayor for environment and transportation, Adam Clarke, said: “We are determined to continue to accelerate the improvements we’ve seen in recent years and achieve our aim of healthier air for Leicester.

“We’re now recording the lowest levels of NO2 we’ve ever seen and this excellent news.

"But we know we still face challenges to bring the whole city within target limits and we now need to explore some fairly radical measures.

“We’ve been directed by Government to model a variety of different options for a clean air zone.

“Our surveys and studies show that a charging zone for just taxis, buses and coaches will get us over the line in terms of bringing the city within set limits for air pollution.

“That will give us a really solid foundation to build on and further improve air quality in the city.

“We know that taxi drivers will be affected and that’s why our proposal includes a bid for about £6million of funding to offer generous grants to help them make the shift to cleaner, greener vehicles and electric taxis.

“By working closely with the local bus companies, we have already made huge progress in reducing pollution from the city’s buses. We want to extend that work to our local taxi operators.”

The council has also announced a further £730,000 of capital investment in measures designed to further improve air quality in the city.

This includes £170,000 of match-funding for over £650,000 of investment in 28 new electric taxi charging points and 22 charging points in residential streets.

A further £120,000 will be used as match-funding for a £1.1million scheme to accelerate the city’s clean air zone for buses by fitting pollution filters to 168 buses.

It also includes £99,000 to upgrade the city’s existing network of air quality monitoring machines, and a further £100,000 for the council’s Eco-Schools programme.

Around £170,000 will buy four more ultra-low emission vehicles for the council’s own fleet including a new electric hackney cab for the council’s passenger and transport service, which will also be offered as a demonstration vehicle for local taxi operators.

 

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/taxis-buses-coaches-could-charged-3466251

This is ridiculous.

When the inner ring road was first considered, it was meant to be dual carriageway all the way round but that never happened for whatever reason. If you travel the whole way round you will see that, except for Stoughton Drive there's enough land either side of the single carriageway to accommodate extra lanes.

The reason there's so much pollution is because for so much of the day, the traffic is at a virtual standstill because the ring road, as a single carriageway, cannot cope with the volume of traffic.

It's unfair to financially penalise those making a living from driving and having to use this absolutely hopelessly,inadequate road when the whole thing is not fit for purpose. 

I hate it.

[Langston]

On 02/11/2019 at 00:31, Stadt said:

Looks like the international hotel is coming down, Sky plaza next hopefully 

 

Did they ever decide what they were doing with the old International Hotel space after the accommodation proposals fell through? 

No chance Sky Plaza comes down while its attached to Abbey Street NCP  Shame because from some angles it looks third world.

[Langston]

Like this angle, hideous - think it might be the view from Lee Circle looking over Belgrave Gate. At least St George's tower near the station is a laugh despite it looking crap.

Edited 4 November 2019 by Langston

[Stadt]

6 minutes ago, Langston said:

Like this angle, hideous - think it might be the view from Lee Circle looking over Belgrave Gate. At least St George's tower near the station is a laugh despite it looking crap.

Looks like ****ing Famagusta

[Paninistickers]

1 hour ago, Langston said:

Like this angle, hideous - think it might be the view from Lee Circle looking over Belgrave Gate. At least St George's tower near the station is a laugh despite it looking crap.

It's so bad it's good.  Could and should be some kind of cult hit. A themed hotel. Our equivalent of an ice hotel in Sweden or Tokyo cat café. 

[fuchsntf]

5 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

It's so bad it's good.  Could and should be some kind of cult hit. A themed hotel. Our equivalent of an ice hotel in Sweden or Tokyo cat café. 

Great idea..We'll Call it the Fusion....

[Wolfox]

Many Gyptians on his dark materials have a Leicester accent…

 

at last some meaningful recognition 

[Wymsey]

Not particularly keen on the new cycle lane on London Road, next to the train station.

[Langston]

On 17/11/2019 at 22:11, Wymeswold fox said:

Not particularly keen on the new cycle lane on London Road, next to the train station.

 

Why?

[Wymsey]

4 hours ago, Langston said:

 

Why?

There's been some complaints of drivers parking on cycle lanes there and thus blocking clear access on the areas designated to cyclists only, and noticed it when went down that road on Saturday.

It's also quite potentially dangerous in building a part of it in front of the train station where there's mass amounts of people most of the time imo.

[Kopfkino]

Been up to Leicester a couple of weekends recently, the first time I've actually been into the city rather than just pass through for football for 4/5 years when I was 19. Actually a lot better than I expected but equally could be better, lacks atmosphere.  Brought a couple of mates up and they thought it was okay. It's been a while since I've been to Nottingham too but the difference feels like there's places to spend money in Nottingham whereas Leicester felt to lack that if you're there any longer than a day or two. Shops wise it really is lacking. 

 

Golden Mile still great for food, nowhere better for Indian food in the country that I've experienced. Friend from Delhi said he was impressed. The area between the centre and the Golden Mile is truly grim, whereas actually a lot of the city doesn't look terrible beyond what you'd expect.

Other food options didn't appeal much, again not many real quality options that I came across when looking

The Lanes and around the Cathedral really nice, shame more can't be made of it.

Haymarket should be knocked down and made into a public square, recalibrate a bit

The indoor market thing is a good addition but rest of market area needs some sprucing up

Pubs aren't great. Remember seeing about Two-Legged Lion on here so went in there, didn't rate it. Most others we went in were a bit generic, couple of good ones by the station.

 

 

[davieG]

4 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

Haymarket should be knocked down and made into a public square,

That's a pipe dream especially as LCC / Soulsby have just agreed to spend a load of cash to enable a hotel to open in the top section.

[Stadt]

Planning permission has gone in for a cat cafe where the old Zaavi unit was

[SpacedX]

18 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

 

Pubs aren't great. Remember seeing about Two-Legged Lion on here so went in there, didn't rate it. Most others we went in were a bit generic, couple of good ones by the station.

 

 

That'll be 'The Two Tailed Lion'.

[Kopfkino]

15 minutes ago, davieG said:

That's a pipe dream especially as LCC / Soulsby have just agreed to spend a load of cash to enable a hotel to open in the top section.

Is that this? https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/travelodge-set-open-67-bed-1643623

Utterly dreadful city planning if so, a Travelodge there is of no benefit to the city centre

Edited 26 November 2019 by Kopfkino

[davieG]

1 minute ago, Kopfkino said:

Is that this? https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/travelodge-set-open-67-bed-1643623

Utterly dreadful city planning if so

Yeah that's it.

[Unabomber]

2 hours ago, Stadt said:

Planning permission has gone in for a cat cafe where the old Zaavi unit was

What’s that

[Wymsey]

21 minutes ago, Unabomber said:

What’s that

It could be part of a chain that has a presence in Nottingham and more recently Birmingham; got told about this business, called 'Kitty Cafe', from someone who's from the Nottingham area earlier in the year.

 

It could be this organisation, which rescues abandoned cats etc and eventually rehomes them. They sell standard food such as salad, jacket potato, sandwiches etc.

 

Wouldn't go to have a bite to eat in a place where cats are around you etc personally. but suppose it's different to the standard high street cafes and targeted towards young families etc.

Edited 26 November 2019 by Wymeswold fox

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

4 hours ago, Kopfkino said:

Been up to Leicester a couple of weekends recently, the first time I've actually been into the city rather than just pass through for football for 4/5 years when I was 19. Actually a lot better than I expected but equally could be better, lacks atmosphere.  Brought a couple of mates up and they thought it was okay. It's been a while since I've been to Nottingham too but the difference feels like there's places to spend money in Nottingham whereas Leicester felt to lack that if you're there any longer than a day or two. Shops wise it really is lacking. 

 

Golden Mile still great for food, nowhere better for Indian food in the country that I've experienced. Friend from Delhi said he was impressed. The area between the centre and the Golden Mile is truly grim, whereas actually a lot of the city doesn't look terrible beyond what you'd expect.

Other food options didn't appeal much, again not many real quality options that I came across when looking

The Lanes and around the Cathedral really nice, shame more can't be made of it.

Haymarket should be knocked down and made into a public square, recalibrate a bit

The indoor market thing is a good addition but rest of market area needs some sprucing up

Pubs aren't great. Remember seeing about Two-Legged Lion on here so went in there, didn't rate it. Most others we went in were a bit generic, couple of good ones by the station.

 

 

Surprised at this. I'm a Nottingham native now and have been for a while because of work - and I think "shops wise" there's little in it. Admittedly, Nottingham does have a few big brands with a presence in the city (Fred Perry and Paul Smith off the top of my head) and some lovely independents around Hockley and Bridlesmith Gate – but the Broadmarsh and Victoria Centre make the Haymarket seem idyllic, let alone the Highcross which absolutely kills the pair of them (shopping centres aren't my bag to be honest but pitched against each other we cruise it). I sometimes use the Broadmarsh as a shortcut and it's especially cursed now it's being tarted up. Lots of empty units too.

Whilst there are objectively more boozers, and loads of really, really good ones, I'd still rate TTL above anywhere in Nottingham, despite Nottingham being better for a bev. The couple that run it are great and the crowd in there is always the right pitch.

I think Leicester's biggest issue is it has loads of great little pockets but to get from A to B you invariably have to go through an area / stretch that feels a bit unloved, to say the least. Every street that runs off the clock tower (bar the High Street) is grubby. I also don't think the student population of Leicester brings any value to the city centre itself and that's the polar of opposite of the likes of Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, etc - where they really get into where they've gone and put money into their respective cities.

I've brought my other half a couple of times and she's enjoyed each visit. It could be better but it definitely could be alot, lot worse.

 

Edited 26 November 2019 by Miquel The Work Geordie

[Guest MattP]

4 hours ago, Line-X said:

That'll be 'The Two Tailed Lion'.

Liked the look of that place but didn't have a single cider when I went in.

 

Preferred the pub next door.

[Paninistickers]

5 hours ago, davieG said:

That's a pipe dream especially as LCC / Soulsby have just agreed to spend a load of cash to enable a hotel to open in the top section.

I've always thought the city would be improved if the Haymarket was bulldozed for a mini park / garden square. And the shops within it distributed around the various vacant units along Charles Street,  Belgrave Gate and Churchgate 

 

Brings the quirky and edgy Humberstone gate into the centre instead of being blocked off, and curve/phoenix too

 

 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

2 hours ago, MattP said:

Liked the look of that place but didn't have a single cider when I went in.

 

Preferred the pub next door.

 

The Blue Boar is sensational.

[Guest MattP]

Just now, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

The Blue Boar is sensational.

Yeah I lapped it up. 

 

Some great ciders, proper drinkers and we whipped out the trivial pursuit board - cracking way to spend a couple of hours.