Last Thursday’s walking tour led by Andrew Smith and Grant Butterworth, ably assisted by David Beale (all of Leicester City Council) proved very entertaining and informative. The great weather, free bar and excellent food at the Phoenix just added to the evening. Thank you Allyson , for organising!
I like to think I have a fair handle on the city centre having worked in Leicester for so long. But I have to say we went to parts I had not visited for a few years and saw some attractive spaces, like St Margaret's churchyard that I had nearly forgotten; and, at least from the outside, a recent superb example of regeneration and repurposing in the former BSS Specialities complex on Fleet Street.
But what also struck me, which was distinctive visible, as we visited two roof top locations at St Margaret Bus Station and the Phoenix was the total absence of any construction cranes.
And this despite our guides showing us the sites of a considerable number of planning consents. This led me to reflect on why, apart from the obvious that construction is at or close to the bottom of the development cycle. So:
Reflections
- Mixed-Use. About 5 years ago the Centre for City’s policy think tank published a report on offices in the 36 largest urban centres of the U.K. Leicester had the 35th out of 36 lowest density of office accommodation by size; only bettering Blackpool! Without the possibility of good quality jobs, not only will the ambition of the recently adopted Local Plan to substantially increase the centre’ s population not be achieved, but also the economy will not grow and the cranes might not come back. Mixed-use as a comprehensive solution has to be an answer.
- Public Intervention. It is also clear that to have any chance of success of firing up the centre’s development and the economy, where there are plenty of brownfield sites, there has to be public/private sector partnership in its widest sense. That lesson is clear: with the only two major commercial schemes constructed in the City centre in the last 15 years and successful, (and significantly mixed-use) are at the bottom of New Walk, (including the Mattioli Woods offices); and, the Charles Street Buildings development on Vaughan Way on the far side of the ring road. Both private schemes would almost certainly not have happened without various public support.
- Investment Scale. David Beale specifically reminded me of this. Up to the Second World War Leicester had one of the most successful city economies in the world. This was built on the textile and footwear industries serving the world, but it was created by large numbers of locally based entrepreneurs. Probably only Corah’s and BUSM were of a truly national scale, but literally hundreds of such entrepreneurs created a self-sustaining leading economic centre of excellence for nearly a 100 years. In other words, I don’t think we will ever now secure substantial major international investment of scale. We will need to grow our own again using the talents of local communities and entrepreneurs. A Regional Investment Bank? Not easy, but possible?
And while there are no cranes out in the City, which means we are close to the bottom of a development cycle that in its own way gives hope. Typically, on the upswing of the cycle investment and development happens. But it frequently comes to the market as completed when the cycle is already turning leading to a reduced or lack of profit and even failure. (And without profit in a mixed economy it won't happen and fail). So now is the time for the biggest effort in planning and creative development solutions with the best chance of success; as development will come to the market still in the upturn when the chance of profit is greatest.
Well, that is what I think, anyone else?
