LEICESTER | Science Park - Abbey Meadows | U/C

[Tomber]

Originally Posted by duane

Surely if the tram line went up New Walk though, it would serve both Universities, the City Centre and the train station relatively easily?

It's a ten minute walk between all three! I know people are lazy but still!

[duane]

How about running alongside New Walk on the side streets round the back. Once you are where the train lines are, you could easily extend the route down by saffron lane. In the other direction once you are at DeMontfort, you can easily extend the route to the science park. Just an idea?

[leicslad3]

I like the idea of it running somewhere there, I've always supported the idea of trams in leicester.

[PAC_MAN]

I quite like the new walk. I was considering writing to "our leader" and telling him to create a new walk to the north.

[WOTZDA POINT]

Originally Posted by PAC_MAN

I quite like the new walk. I was considering writing to "our leader" and telling him to create a new walk to the north.

Simple but brilliant idea and why not an East and West New Walk ?

[PAC_MAN]

Prior to the credit crunch. I believe there were plans for an extension. It was going to be part of the Leisure Development on Vaughan Waynext to the 15 storey hotel.

I think the council should part fund the new walk and develop it anyway. Once the economic climate improves they can continue with the business project

[Lears City]

I think there are still plans to extend New Walk northwards. We are only talking about an extension beyond Highcross down to All Saint's and the riverside. The rest of the route just carries on through town.

What the City Council should do is use New Walk as a template for future development in the city. It works fine and attracts businesses, which is the point of development. So recreate the look and feel of New Walk and you're onto a winner. Only the frontages need to be recreated. Behind them you can build anything...

[Leicity82]

I think the refurbishment of Loseby Lane and Carts Lane are part of the scheme to 'extend' New Walk to HX if I am not mistaken.

[Lears City]

That is true. It is the bit after Highcross that is still missing - including part of the old Highcross Street the other side of the ring road. I have a sneaky feeling that the failure to develop over the ring road (which was the original plan for Highcross), killed off the New Walk Extension. It has just never been formally killed.

Well done anyway Leicester City Council, for not forcing through the ring road element of the scheme! You had a major developer willing to throw £350 million pound at a retail scheme and were given the opportunity to get through something that would finally link the city centre to the riverside. No worries though eh...

[Mark76]

This thread appears to be drifting off course.

[Leicity82]

Maybe the New Walk extension could be deviated to the Science Park.

[Leicity82]

Planning application for housing at science park:

http://rcweb.leicester.gov.uk/planni...AppNo=20090922

[Mark76]

Well that solves the problem of where they're going to put the boffins

[Lears City]

Unless they are snapped up by others?

[mateobozza]

The houses or the boffins?

[Mark76]

Both?

[mateobozza]

Yep the boffins by a city with a decent transport system and the houses by demontfort student landlords.

[Leicity82]

From today's Business Mercury:

Space race as Zeeko heads for £4m in orders
Tuesday, November 03, 2009, 09:30

A hi-tech engineering firm is looking at expanding its new factory after winning £4m of orders.

Zeeko, which makes machines which create precision parts for space telescopes, is due to move into a new site at Leicester Science Park next year.

Work on the 17,000 sq ft building, double the size of its premises in Coalville, has been delayed because gaining planning consent took longer than anticipated. But bosses are now considering creating a plant of more than 20,000sq ft to accommodate the expected influx in orders.

Richard Freeman, Zeeko co-founder and managing director, said: "We had planned to build an extension after a while. Now we are considering doing it all at the same time. The final decision has not been made yet."

It comes after a new sign displaying the names of the science park and the space centre was unveiled at the park's Abbey Lane entrance last week.
Click here to find out more!

Zeeko, which is set to be 20-acre park's first occupier, has just won a contract worth £3m for four machines – two big and two small – with a private sector company in Asia. They will be used to polish specialist mirrors to ensure they meet precise specifications.

"The big ones will be used to make mirrors for ground based telescopes and the small ones will be used for in the specialist optics industry." said Mr Freeman.

Another two orders, totalling £1m, are with public sector bodies in Continental Europe and the Middle-East.

The new work will help double the firm's turnover from £2m last year to almost £6m next year. This year's turnover is expected to be £4m.

Zeeko has bought a one-acre plot at the science park – next to the National Space Centre, off Abbey Lane – from East Midlands Development, which funded the new sign.

Building work on the £2m factory should start after Christmas, with the site set to be up and running in November next year, said Mr Freeman. The firm would then increase the workforce from 41 to 60.

"It's an ideal place for a company like us," he said. "We are a cutting-edge space sector company right next to the National Space Centre. What could be better than that?

"It took a long time for us to get planning permission. We have now had a meeting with our architects and the whole project is now going out to tender."

Zeeko, currently at Coalville's Hermitage Industrial Estate, is about to ship its first machines to Japan, including one machine to Chubu University in Japan, which has a Zeeko research laboratory.

"We hope to form a Zeeko division in Japan soon", said Mr Freeman. The company already has an operation in the United States.

David Hughes, chief executive of Prospect Leicestershire, which is charged with the economic development of the county, said: "It's excellent news that Zeeko are looking to start work on their site in the New Year. They will give the science park a major boost."

See: http://www.thisisbusiness-eastmidlan...l/article.html

[philkeavo]

Originally Posted by Leicity82

From today's Business Mercury:

See: http://www.thisisbusiness-eastmidlan...l/article.html

This is really significant. The only way UK PLC will compete in the future is by investing in hi tech. Bring it on!

[d4mo85]

I'm so pleased for Zeeko, they're going from strength to strength. It's great to have such companies in Leicester - they are the real pioneers. Good news!