Architects given green light for square designs
Architects have been asked draw up detailed designs for a new public square in Leicester following a two-month consultation.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby wants to create a £4 million Jubilee Square plaza at St Nicholas' Place, where a 50-space car park and the city's park-and-ride hub sits.
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The city council has held a series of roadshows about the scheme, many of which were attended by the mayor himself, as part of a two-month consultation, which ended on Friday.
More than 300 people and organisations responded. While the council has yet to process all the feedback, Sir Peter said he wanted to press on with the project.
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He said the consultation was more to look at how the scheme should proceed, rather than if it should be done.
Jubilee Square is part of a wider £19 million plan which aims to better connect Leicester's historic sites to the west of the city with its more modern retail streets.
He said: "The people I spoke to were, once they understood what lay behind it, very enthusiastic.
"It's the historic heart of Leicester but only in Leicester would we be stupid enough to bury it under a car park.
"We have already asked architects to do detailed designs.
"They should be available later in the year and will be subject to further consultation."
Sir Peter said concerns had been raised about the loss of parking – particularly disabled spaces – which exist at the moment, and what would happen to the park-and-ride hub.
He also said Highcross shopping centre bosses had sought assurances Jubilee Square would not affect access to their car parks.
When asked by the Mercury where, or if, replacement spaces would be found, Sir Peter said: "There is also a significant amount of other parking in the are.
"Although 50 spaces are important, they are only a very small proportion of the spaces in the area."
A report outlining the responses to the scheme will be published in due course.
Sir Peter said he was encouraged by the overwhelming support of the idea shown by the response of the Leicester Civic Society for the proposals.
Civic society chairman Stuart Bailey said: "We are wholeheartedly behind Jubilee Square. It's a very exciting initiative."
Chairman of the Leicester Retail Forum Peter Wilkinson said: "Broadly speaking, we are supportive of the proposals and we support the financial commitment given to improve the economic viability of the city centre.
"However the devil is always in the detail and that is for the next stage."
A further consultation on the £19 million Connecting Leicester project continues until the end of the month.
For more information, visit:
www.leicester.gov.uk/consultations
Comments
by Graham_LE8
Sunday, October 07 2012, 1:57PM
“@ elisabeth; Quote: "someone berates someone for calling pete "count von count pete" and the rest of his Council "Muppets".
I find the comparison quite good"...
Well you would find the comparison good, as you coined the phrase and have used it under several pseudonyms including eyresmonsell, watermead, and the-market. And so has Bill (a relation?) as leicester. Do you suffer from a multiple personality disorder?...”
by democrat
Saturday, October 06 2012, 12:16PM
“Typical Labour”
by garyb2011
Saturday, October 06 2012, 11:50AM
“Sir Peter Souslby and Leicester City Council again conspire to treat the citizens of Leicester with complete contempt and remain unchallenged by the Leicester Mercury.
If it was not bad enough that the 'consultation' failed to ask the key question of whether anyone other than SPS and his cronies want to press on with this we no find that he now misrepresents teh facts.
There is only one consultation On 'One Leicester'- which is still open. There was no individual consultation on the Jubilee Square project in isolation (if there was why is it not on the website)
SPS is so arrogant that he cannot wait to press on with this project because he thinks it is a good idea. No doubt he is desperate to have the work completed before the next election so he can point to Pete's Park as a symbol of all that he has done.
He and the Council are at best inept or at worse democratically corrupt. So disorganised that they cannot even get the story straight.”
by redcat
Thursday, October 04 2012, 9:15PM
“So, how much are these architects being paid to draw up these plans for a square which isn't yet confirmed? I notice that information is absent from this article...”
by Graham_LE8
Thursday, October 04 2012, 7:35PM
“Great idea, wrong place. Why not make it part of the 'Cultural Quarter?...”
by Jagomeister
Thursday, October 04 2012, 1:00PM
“Look forward to seeing this go ahead as we'll as other improvements to the city. Those of us that live in the city work hard and pay good money in taxes would like to see the benefits of this.”
by RedKeith
Thursday, October 04 2012, 12:49PM
“Giving spending priority to a Soulsby Legacy project, when core services are about to be slashed, displays an incredible level of arrogance and indifference to the suffering about to be inflicted on vulnerable people. We need functioning schools, social care services, support and advice services...etc before we need another garden with a nice statue.”
by powellp
Thursday, October 04 2012, 12:48PM
“Notice the terminology Peter uses in order to try and stifle opposition quote "It's the historic heart of Leicester but only in Leicester would we be stupid enough to bury it under a car park."
Inferring that if you were not in favour of his idea then you are, of course, "Stupid". Typical tactic of politicians of his type.
I, stand to be corrected, but didn't recently published figures show that this is the councils most profitable car park as well?”
by Jagomeister
Thursday, October 04 2012, 11:57AM
“He said the consultation was more to look at how the scheme should proceed, rather than if it should be done.”
by vanip
Thursday, October 04 2012, 11:15AM
“Whats the point of consultation if you want to proceed any way and whats the point of consultation if its descided to go ahead any way”