Four courtyard buildings set to be demolished
STUDENT FLATS WILL BE BUILT IN THEIR PLACE
PLANS to demolish four buildings off Welford Road, Leicester, and build 62 student flats in their place have been approved.
The six buildings in the courtyard behind 100 Welford Road are vacant and are said to be in poor condition.
The site has has a long history, having previously been used as offices, a light engineering premises, a car dealership, a coal merchant’s, a builder’s and carpenter’s workshop, a sawmill and needle manufacturers. However, it has not been in use since 2016.
Four of the buildings will be demolished to make way for a block of 58 studio flats which will staggered in height at three, four and five storeys. The other two buildings will be converted into the remaining four flats, which will also be studios.
Access will be via the arch under 100 Welford Road. There will also be a communal lounge, a gym, laundry facilities and a landscaped courtyard as part of the scheme.
Developers Prosol Enterprises has also agreed to contribute £38,000 for improvements to nearby Nelson Mandela Park, including gym equipment and seating. They will also install a “green roof” on the building to encourage biodiversity. A number of objections were submitted to the council. They express concerns over the demolition plans, the scale of the building and the number of student flats already in the city. One commenter said: “While I support bringing this handsome address back into use, I wholeheartedly oppose the destruction of several of its buildings and also the dominating height and scale of its planned replacement.
“In keeping with the roofline of this area, there should be nothing above two storeys in height.
“And how many more students are we expecting to live in the city? Can this be justified on increasing numbers at University of Leicester or De Montfort University?
“It cannot. They have a limit on intake and the planning applications for student accommodation bear no relation to the reality of the situation.”
A statement submitted by the applicants cites figures showing student numbers in the city are rising.
However, the data was compiled before Covid-19 struck.
Leicester City Council has approved the application subject to conditions, including a management plan for the site being submitted to the council.
This is to include details of how students’ arrival and departures at the start and end of term will be managed, security processes, bin collections and how complaints will be dealt with.
How many more students are we expecting to live in the city?
Opponent of the plans