Decision on Leicester Railway Station’s Parcel Yard pub demolition …
A decision on whether a Leicester pub with historic links to the city’s railway station can be bulldozed is set to be made this week. Members of Leicester City Council’s planning committee[1] will meet on Wednesday (November 15) to debate the plan, with officers recommending the green light for the demolition.
The Parcel Yard pub, in London Road, was named after the sorting office and ‘parcel yard’ that was historically connected to the neighbouring Leicester Railway Station. Parts of the building were demolished and rebuilt in the 1930s, but fragments of the original Victorian architecture remain. It was converted into a pub in 1999 and has remained as one to the present day.
But now the bar is at risk after Leicester City Council[2] secured £17.6 million of Government cash in 2021 towards a complete remodel of the station[3] to create what it believes will be a more attractive 'gateway' to the city. The £22 million project will transform the covered entrance hall area of the station– known as a port cochère – into a new plaza for shopping, food and drinks.
The existing taxi ranks will be moved to nearby Station Street, where the facade of the station will be restored, turning it into the new main entrance – as it was when it was originally built. The street outside the new entrance will also be remodelled with a ramp and steps leading to a large new glazed entrance.
However, a planning application – the first of two – submitted on behalf of the council reveals the neighbouring pub must go to allow the station entrance to be relocated and a pedestrianised area created along Station Road. A second application is expected to be submitted in due course to set out more detailed plans for the revamp.
Ward councillor Patrick Kitterick has requested the application be debated by the committee, rather than being decided on by planning officers under delegated powers, as it impacts listed buildings and has been brought forward “without a clear position on what will replace” it. There are concerns that, because the applications are coming forward in two parts, the building might be demolished without the plan for the station revamp ever coming to fruition.
Historic England has reflected this concern in its comments, saying the demolition would reveal “unsightly views of parts of the station[5]” currently hidden by the building and the “scars” from where the old parcel yard was attached to it. The application contains “no assurance that the redevelopment will proceed”.
Planning officers have said it is “unlikely” the wider scheme would not come to fruition. However, planning documents suggest that, if it does not, a “pocket park” would be created in the space left by the building instead. This would be a “landscaped area” with planters and seating. There would also be space for pop-up stalls and kiosks, the authority said.
Officers accepted the demolition would “result in the loss of an attractive building in the city”. This is regrettable, they added, but necessary to enable the redevelopment of the station.
The wider plan for the area would overall “help to improve the appearance of the station” by opening up views, “improve accessibility and help to encourage regeneration in this area of the city centre”.
The building would be taken down stage by stage if permission is granted, rather than through a controlled explosion or similar, to protect the surrounding area. Tenants of The Parcel Yard building, which also hosts a taxi office and office space, have already vacated the building.
References
- ^ planning committee (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Leicester City Council (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ towards a complete remodel of the station (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Neil O’Brien leaves health minister role for back benches as Conservatives reshuffle top team (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ the station (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)