Keywest Estate Agents / Dec 08

Leicester: An Increasingly Appealing Property Hotspot

Leicester has never been a more desirable place to live or own investment property in, and its appeal looks set to grow as work continues to enhance all that the city already has to offer.

One of the latest projects to be announced is a £1.5 million-plus plan to open up parts of the city. This looks set to be achieved by the city council buying a pair of buildings in Leicester’s Horesefair Street.

One of the buildings in the alley will be demolished to create a new linkway between two of the city’s main squares.

The passage between the new Market Square and Town Hall Square, behind Leicester’s historic Corn Exchange, will become a wider, more attractive pedestrian gateway.

The plan involves Leicester City Council purchasing both 15 and 11 Horsefair Street, and number 15, a 1980s property, will be demolished in order to open up the through route. It is currently vacant but has previously been used as a charity shop and jewellery outlet.

The neighbouring property, which is currently home to a ground-floor BetFred shop, would be kept as a council asset and allow the authority to collect rent from tenants. Both properties have been marketed together to be sold as a package.

Sir Peter Soulsby, Leicester’s mayor, said the purchase would create ‘an exciting opportunity’, allowing the authority to make improvements to the city centre and get rid of a building which currently detracts attention from ‘stunning architecture’ surrounding it.

Sir Peter said that demolishing number 15 would allow for the creation of a much more welcoming and wider link between Leicester Market and Town Hall Square and would continue with ‘ambitious improvements’ which are already ongoing at the market.

He added that this would offer an ‘extra boost’ to the wider area, and the second Horsefair property would continue to be a cherished part of the area’s ‘historic street scene’ whilst still offering a sound investment opportunity which could benefit the local authority and the city’s wider population.

The mayor said it was vital that the authority continued to invest in improvements to the city centre in order to ensure that the area continues to thrive and grow as an excellent place to invest, live and work in as well as being an incredibly attractive location for visitors.

Find out what Leicester can offer you, whether you are looking for a place to live or your next property investment, by enlisting the help of the Keywest team today. Call us at our office at Hinckley Road 01162 544 555, or Queens Road 01162 544 543.