Work is continuing on Leicester City Council’s £19 million renewal of the city’s streets and spaces. Work is to be completed this month (June) on Market Street and Charles Street. Work is set to start in July and August on the Clock Tower, High Street and the southern end of Gallowtree Gate. Since June 18 High Street and the adjacent Lanes have become fully pedestrianised with the restrictions that also apply to Gallowtree Gate, Humberstone Gate West and Market Street creating a new large traffic free shopping quarter.

 

A new entrance to the Shires car park via Freeschool Lane is now in use, to allow for the pedestrianisation of High Street and Shires Lane, which is set to begin this month (June).

 

At the Highcross Leicester, work is continuing on the glazing of the John Lewis store, with the layers of glass featuring a textile and hosiery theme, reflecting the city’s heritage. Construction of a 2,000-space multi-storey car park is underway with an exterior based on the texture of woven fabric.

 

The Highcross Leicester project will double the size of the existing Shires shopping centre and is set to create 2,500 new jobs in the service sector, another major step towards broadening the range of jobs in the city.

 

In Abbey Meadows, work is now underway on an access road to the first of two science park sites, and is set to be completed in October. Work starts this month on Ingelby’s commercial development, a car showroom. The Audi showroom is being built on Abbey Lane to replace their current premises on Blackbird Road, freeing up that site for redevelopment. Work also starts this summer on the commercial office development on the site.