Car park and town road are closed for final scheme phase
A CAR park and road in Loughborough town centre have been closed as a regeneration scheme progresses.
The Bedford Square Gateway Project is being carried out by Charnwood Borough Council to make Bedford Square, Devonshire Square and Ward’s End more attractive to visitors, increase footfall and support local businesses.
As part of the scheme, the Bedford Square south car park and the road linking Southfield Road and Woodgate closed last Wednesday.
The car park and surrounding area are being repaved in high-quality granite and a new entrance is being created in the car park and the work is due to be completed in June.
Traffic will be diverted further along Southfield Road.
This final phase of the scheme was added into the project towards the end of 2021 thanks to a £1.7 million grant from Loughborough Town Deal.
The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership have also contributed to the overall scheme.
A council spokesman said: “The closures are necessary to allow the work to be carried out and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
“Visitors can use the Bedford Square north car park and we are still offering free parking for an hour at nearby Beehive Lane multi-storey car park.
“Our contractor will complete the works as soon as possible. Once completed, the area will look significantly better.
Paving work is currently being carried out in Ward’s End and Devonshire Square, which are both closed to traffic. Granby Street is currently two-way.
There is still pedestrian access to all businesses in the area.
The work in Ward’s End is due to be finished by the end of March when the road will reopen to traffic up to the junction with South Street.
Work in Devonshire Square is due to end by the end of April, when the road will reopen to traffic and there will be through access to Granby Street.
Granby Street will then return to being one-way.
Under the Bedford Square Gateway Project, footpaths are being widened and high-quality granite paving is being laid to make the street scene more attractive and showcase the area’s distinct character and heritage.
New street lighting and street furniture are also being added and more of the area will be on one level, making it more accessible.
For more information about the project, visit