Plans to transform Leicester’s railway station get cash boost

Almost £18m of government funding has been awarded to plans to transform the entrance to Leicester’s railway station.

Leicester City Council has successfully bid for £17.6million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, towards a £22million scheme to remodel the station’s entrance and create a more attractive gateway to the city centre.

The station is expected to be restored to how it appeared in the Victorian era, by forming a new entrance onto Station Street and restoring the booking hall to its original size to create more space for passengers.

City Mayor, Peter Soulsby, said: ‘The award of almost £18million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund is a tremendous endorsement of the importance of this project.

‘The railway station is a beautiful building but badly in need of improvement to meet the modern needs of a city the size of Leicester. This exciting project will make a huge difference, helping to transform the area into a vibrant gateway that will make a major contribution to Leicester’s prosperity.

‘I want to congratulate officers on their hard work with their successful bids to the Government’s Levelling Up programme which has helped attract over £45million of new investment into the city.’

Mark Lambert, head of infrastructure and property at East Midlands Railway, added: ‘This is fantastic news for the people of the city and our customers that use Leicester station. We are looking forward to working closely with the council to help turn these exciting plans into a reality.’

The proposals will be subject to planning permission and detailed design and development work is now underway. It is expected that construction will begin in early 2023 and be completed by mid-2024.

Leicester City Council was successful in bidding for over £45.5million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for three major projects that will support the city economic recovery and growth, and help create hundreds of new jobs.

Along with the transformation of the Leicester Railway Station, the city council has been awarded £8.5million to transform former factory buildings at Pilot House, on King Street, into new start-up units for creative businesses, and £19.4million for three projects in and around Pioneer Park and Exploration Drive, complementing The University of Leicester’s Space Park development.

Photo supplied by Leicester City Council