£17m for Leicester station revival
A GRANT of £17.6m from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund has been awarded to Leicester City Council, which will be used on a £22m scheme to remodel the station entrance and create a more attractive new gateway to the city centre.
The plan involves creating a new entrance on the adjacent Station Street facing towards the city centre, as well as restoring the booking hall to its original size to create more space for passengers. Some former railway buildings now used as a bar and a taxi office would be demolished to provide more public space.
The arches of the existing port cochère would be glazed – as has been achieved at Nottingham – and the area transformed into a plaza for retail, food and drinks. The existing taxi ranks would move to Station Street.
In addition to the Government funding, Leicester City Council has ringfenced £5 million of capital as match-funding for the project.
The proposals are subject to planning approval and detailed design and development work is now underway. It is hoped construction will begin in early 2023 and be completed by mid-2024. A further expectation of the council is more private investment and further regeneration of the surrounding area.