£1.5m boost to spruce up city centre streets
IMPROVEMENTS TO SHOPFRONTS AND PRESERVATION OF ARCHITECTAL HERITAGE
AN extra £1.5 million is being used to spruce up two city centre shopping streets.
The cash is from Historic England and will be available to businesses in Granby Street and Church Gate looking to carry out external and internal improvements.
Historic England has granted the money to Leicester City Council as part of the national High Street Heritage Action Zone programme.
Property owners and businesses will be invited to apply for grants to support work to repair building frontages, reinstate lost architectural features and help bring empty upper-floor space back into use.
The scheme will run alongside the city council’s planned £1.25million investment in public realm improvements, which includes the pedestrianisation of part of Church Gate.
Work on that project is already under way in the city centre, with work currently taking place around the Clock Tower.
The work is expected to continue until about July 2021.
The new funding will also support research into the history of the two streets and key buildings, the development of heritage skills apprenticeships with local businesses, and free architectural advice for property owners.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said:
“These important and popular shopping streets are rich in architectural heritage and home to some truly remarkable buildings.
“I am delighted that Historic England has now confirmed its generous funding. “We can now begin work with property owners and businesses to help improve shopfronts, preserve the architectural history and celebrate the unique character of these streets.
“We have seen how this approach can be a catalyst to transform parts of the city through the successful
Greyfriars Townscape Heritage Initiative.
“This has helped attract millions of pounds of private investment into the city’s historic Old Town and helped make the area a jewel in the city’s crown.
“We have an excellent record of working with Historic England and this latest funding will complement major investment we are making in transforming the street scene and creating a much more attractive and safer environment for shoppers and visitors in these historic streets.”
Leicester businesses will be invited to bid for funding from the scheme from late-autumn, and details will be publicised nearer the time.
Leicester is one of 12 areas in the East Midlands to successfully bid for
FUND: Granby Street is to benefit from the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme a share of funding available through the national High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme.
Louise Brennan, Historic England regional director for the Midlands, said: “Whether it’s a medieval market town, or a post-industrial centre, every high street in England has a distinctive history that can be harnessed to help it achieve a prosperous future.
“Investing in heritage delivers good results for people – it means looking after and celebrating the places at the heart of our communities, and the buildings and public spaces which define their character.
“This investment for our Historic High Streets Action Zone scheme will unlock the potential of these precious high streets and help them thrive again.”
We can now begin work with property owners and businesses to help improve shopfronts
City mayor