Leicester shopping street transformed after revamp
Major works to revamp one of Leicester’s busiest shopping streets and refurbish the ground-floor street-facing areas of the Grand Hotel have now been completed.
The £700,000 project was funded by the High Street Heritage Action Zones programme, with an additional £200,000 contribution from the hotel’s owners.
Leicester City Council has made several improvements to Granby Street, between Dover Street and Belvoir Street, to enhance the space for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as create room for outdoor café-style seating.
Former pay-and-display parking bays, unused for over three years, have been transformed into wider, high-quality footpaths and cycleways, improving the route between the railway station and the city centre.
The main carriageway, still open to traffic, has been fully resurfaced.
New on-street parking bays have been added on nearby Chatham Street, York Street, and Calais Street.
The project is part of a larger heritage-led investment to improve Granby Street’s shopping environment.
It includes the renovation of the Grade II-listed Grand Hotel’s street-facing ground floor and historic shopfronts, which have been restored to their original design using sustainable hardwood and toughened glass.
Recessed doorways now feature bespoke iron gates, and the new signage complements the building’s architectural heritage.
The hotel’s oriel windows and balcony have been improved, and the canopy above the main entrance has been restored.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The Grand Hotel is a fine example of Leicester’s Victorian past and the city’s rich architectural heritage. With support from Historic England, this landmark building and its historic shopfronts have been restored to their former glory.
“Alongside this, we have made major improvements to this part of Granby Street, creating more space for pedestrians and for outdoor café-style seating along this important and well-used gateway into the city centre. It is important that we continue to invest in these sorts of ambitious improvement schemes, working with property owners and businesses to improve shopfronts, preserve the architectural heritage of our historic buildings, and help ensure our shopping streets continue to be welcoming and attractive places to visit and enjoy.
“We have seen how this approach can be a catalyst to transform areas like the Old Town and help attract millions of pounds of private investment into the city centre.”
