The ongoing regeneration of the biggest city in the East Midlands could see high rise blocks go up along one of its main routes.
Leicester City Council planning officers believe a number of landmark buildings along the A6 St Margaret’s Way heading north out of the city centre could help with its housing obligations.
The suggestion has been put forward as officers look for a long-term strategy for some 4,500 new homes in the city centre.
The city is undergoing a £250 million-plus redevelopment of its run-down, former industrial waterside area, with hundreds of homes already built and thousands more planned.
The council officials say the city’s confined boundaries mean building upwards will be a key part of meeting Government targets for providing new homes – and say the area south of Abbey Park near where a former Corah hosiery factory still stands could take development of eight stories or higher.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby told LeicestershireLive: “That is part of the city where it is felt tall buildings could be accommodated, near the park on the other side of the canal.
“Tall buildings can work well next to large open spaces.
“The comparison with Abbey Park is obviously very loose but you see how Central Park in New York is framed by tall buildings.
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“It’s a very famous example of it.
“Obviously we are not talking about anything on that size or scale but it gives an idea of what is possible.”
He said a similar example would include the Code student accommodation block next to Bede Park on the other side of the city.
He said: “There are a lot of limitations to where you can build taller buildings in Leicester because you do not want them to overshadow the many wonderful historic assets we have but near Abbey Park it could be achieved – and also potentially by the River Soar – where it is actually happening already with some of the student developments.”
The city council’s approach to finding land to build upwards is being considered as part of its draft Local Plan for shaping how the city grows up to 2036.
A six-month public consultation on the draft began earlier this year.
That consultation has been temporarily put on hold but will resume after the coronavirus crisis passes.