Tall & Urban News

Leicester’s Abbey Park could be “framed” by high-rise buildings like New York City’s famous Central Park, it has been suggested.

Planning officers have said there is potential for landmark tall buildings to be constructed near the Grade II-listed park in the St Margaret’s area of the city as they look at a long-term strategy for some 4,500 new homes in the city center.

Officials say the city’s confined boundaries mean building upwards will be a key part of meeting Government targets for providing new homes, and say the area south of the park near where the former Corah hosiery factory still stands could take the development of eight stories or higher.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said “That is part of the city where it is felt tall buildings could be accommodated, near the park on the other side of the canal.

“Tall buildings can work well next to large open spaces. The comparison with Abbey Park is obviously very loose but you see how Central Park in New York City is framed by tall buildings. It’s a very famous example of it," he added.

“Obviously we are not talking about anything on that size or scale, but it gives an idea of what is possible. More locally you see it where the Code student accommodation already frames the Bede Park. There are a lot of limitations to where you can build taller buildings in Leicester because you do not want them to overshadow the many wonderful historic assets we have but near Abbey Park it could be achieved - and also potentially by the River Soar, where it is actually happening already with some of the student developments,” he said further.

The city council’s approach to finding land to build upwards is being considered as part of its draft Local Plan for shaping how the city grows up to 2036.

A six-month public consultation on the draft began earlier in 2020.

That consultation has been temporarily put on hold but will resume after the COVID-19 crisis passes.

For more on this story, go to the Leicester Mercury.