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LEICESTER | Public Realm projects/issues | U/C

145K views 1K replies 74 participants last post by  Luke-Knight 
#1 · (Edited)
I know this is not a 'building' thread as normal, however, it is an important part of Leicester's regeneration.

Gallowtree Gate has already been pedestrianised, with Market Street and Charles Street following suite and others thereafter; East Gates, Clock tower, Market Approach, High Street, Hotel Street, around Leicester Lanes, Halford Street, Belvoir Street, King Street and Granby Street. There are plans for a square outside the new Performing Arts Centre aswell.

For full details see:
Leicester City Council Streets + Spaces website.

East Gates render (with proposed 'wooden arch' to denote the location of one of Leicester's old town wall gates):


High Street is the current road to be pedestrianised, to coincide with the Autumn 2008 opening of the Highcross Leicester development and to create an attractive approach to the scheme:


Market Place Approach (also started):


Belvoir Street:


Granby Street:


King Street:

All images from Leicester City Council Streets + Spaces website
 
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#2 ·
De Montfort University - re-routing of Oxford Street and new piazza:

In order to create an attractive gateway to De Montfort University and the old town, there is currently works happening to re-route the ring road from around the historic Magazine Gateway (it currently acts as a noose around the building) and in addition blocking old subways and creating an new piazza on one side of the gateway:


Source: De Montfort University website
 
#3 ·
From today' Mercury:

WORK ON TRAFFIC-FREE STREET IS DUE TO START

BY JENNY CORNISH
CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER

10:30 - 06 September 2007

Work to transform the city's High Street into a new pedestrian zone is set to begin next week.

The street is being repaved in a £6.45 million project to improve the city centre.

The area around the Clock Tower will be in the first phase of the redevelopment.

Work on the south side of the High Street, from Silver Street to just before the Royal Arcade, will also begin on Monday.

Traders have been consulted and city council bosses say they are hoping to cause as little disruption as possible.

Andy Thomas, the council's head of city centre development, said: "We're looking at a means of working which won't inconvenience everybody. There's a lot of shops there which people will want to get to.

"We have spoken to traders and discussed our plans and listened to what they've said.

"We're hoping to have a clutter-free shopping environment in the run up to Christmas."

Tom Brown, manager at Irish Clothing, in the High Street, said: "We haven't seen the final plans yet. It's bound to cause disruption while it's going on, but we're gearing up for that."

The High Street has been closed to traffic since June 18 while preparatory work took place.

Buses have been rerouted and traffic stopped from entering the main shopping street.

Now parts of the street will be dug up and resurfaced, giving the area a whole new look. When it is finished, there will be about 40 new trees, new granite paving and new seating.

The aim is to complete the project in time for the opening in autumn 2008 of Highcross Leicester, the £350 million Shires shopping centre extension.

Plans for a "world-class public square" with a sculpture and water fountains around the Clock Tower are still under discussion.

Earlier this year, the council put forward proposals for a striking timber arch and fountains to mark the site of the city's medieval East Gate, where High Street meets the Clock Tower.

However these did not prove universally popular and the sculpture was dubbed the "McRib" by some councillors.

Councillor Patrick Kitterick, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "We're having discussions about the East Gates feature and we'll come to a conclusion in the next week or so.

"We welcome the High Street work as it gets under way. There have been immediate benefits with the closure of the road and when the work is finished in 2008 it will be even better."
Leicester Mercury website, Sept 6th, 2007

Great News and will really change the feel of the area! :banana:
 
#6 ·
I walked down Gallowtree Gate this morning, what a mess the slabs are.:mad:

Their full off stains!!!

Mainly from vehicles. The builders working on various shops including the new HSSB Bank, park outside all-day with all sorts leaking from their vans.

Also the police seem to think they can still drive and park down there.

Why did the planners select such light coloured slabs?:eek:hno:
 
#10 ·
Gallowtree gate is yet to be sealed. There is specialist cleaning equipment on order that slowly, and I mean very slowly cleans this style of paving. When they have taken delivery of this machine it will be cleaned, polished and sealed. Then the machine can be used to reclean.
 
#12 ·
kurt, do u really like them seats on gallowtree gate? i think there the most ugly, looking and at the same time most boring design ive ever seen in a town centre, they look bloody awful,

and dont get me started on them pallet of flowers things, wots the point in plonking down two pallets of flowers, it looks terrible,
 
#13 ·
BG your right about how the plants are displayed, they look very temporary. Perhaps by next year they’ll fit some high quality containers!

I think the seats are great. There not comfy enough for all the old people to sit in all day!!

Best of all are the lights, I think there fantastic, especially at dusk.
 
#17 ·
its great walking down the middle of the road

there was a traffic accident on leicester lane near me on friday, two people lost there life which was terrible, but the road got closed and i got to walk down the middle of the whole lenghth of a very busy road which is normally a death trap for pedestrians, so some good came out of it
 
#24 ·
Some bad news from the Mercury today:



SCULPTURE IS SCUPPERED
1 reader has commented on this story. Click here to read their views.
BY MARTIN ROBINSON AND RHIA CHOHAN

10:30 - 21 September 2007



Plans to put up a giant sculpture nicknamed the "McRib" in the city centre have been dropped.

The timber arch sculpture was planned as the centrepiece of a public square near Leicester's Clock Tower, along with water fountains.

But with some estimates of about £500,000, council leaders said it was too expensive, and not right for the area.



Concerns also included worries that drunken revellers would try to climb it and fall off, and it could be a magnet for troublemakers.

Coun Patrick Kitterick, the city's regeneration spokesman, had earlier dubbed the arch the McRib because of its shape and proximity to McDonald's.

He said: "We have decided to have a fresh look at that area and decide on a different scheme.

"Personally I was not convinced a sculpture of that size would complement that area of the city.

"We will go back to the drawing board and decide whether to have smaller sculptures or another large piece of art.

"It is certain that nothing will be in place before the Highcross Quarter is completed in 2008.

"We were worried that it could encourage anti-social behaviour and that people would attempt to climb it and hurt themselves."

Earlier this year, the city's previous administration put forward the proposals for the striking timber arch and fountains.

The work in High Street was to be part of the council's £19 million "Streets and Spaces" scheme to improve the appearance of the city's main shopping area.

Shoppers in the city centre yesterday said they backed the idea of dropping the huge sculpture.

Myrtle Scott, 72, of Leicester Road, Oadby: "I think they would be dangerous, especially with all the drunks at night. I don't really like the look of them."

Komal Valand, 29, of Belgrave Road, Leicester: "It looks like it would have taken up a lot of space.

"I don't really like the design, but it's something a bit more modern added to the city. It would have been nice."

Jenna Stafford, 18, Beaumont Leys said: "I think it's better they didn't do that. I'm sorry, but I think it's absolutely rubbish."

Naren Pandya, 63, Abbey Lane, Leicester: "I think these features would look nice. They might even have attracted tourism to Leicester."

link: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co....tentPK=18450005&folderPk=77796&pNodeId=133851


Personally I liked them and made the area look good. The area needs a centrepiece in place.
 
#27 ·
I don't think the Mcrib sculpture would have been either in the right place or particulalry aesthetic. The clock tower is the feature and there's no point in putting anything dominating in front of it or taking up more space than is necessary. Furthermore, I don't think this location should have the tag 'world class square'. That's what we need to create in the market place area.

I think simple water features, probably one that are walk through so won't collect rubbish, would set off the Clock Tower. I was disappointed that the 'mushroom' fountain', proposed for the other end of Gallowtree Gate some years back, was never constructed.
 
#30 ·
It's not quite the same. There are large sections, 3 I think, from the Royal Arcade towards the clock tower on Irish's side that are fenced off and dug up ready to lay the concret base on which the new paving sits. I guess that section will be completely concreted and hopefully repaved before Christmas.

I haven't been down the the PAC for a month and at that point they were half way towards concreting the area so I guess by now they have started paving.
 
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