Car park plan for city land as development stalls

Permission to demolish James House in Welford Road was granted in August 2022

A parcel of land that is earmarked for a 15-storey student flats complex could be used as a car park for the next five years.

Plans to demolish James House in Welford Road were approved in August 22 after applicant Cheswold Welford Road Ltd submitted plans to develop the site.

The development would host 517 bed spaces across two buildings - one for students and the other for standard rent - but the developer's bid to be able to use both buildings for students was refused.

Now, the applicant has requested permission from Leicester City Council to use the land as a car park for five years while these issues are addressed.

The site has been used as a temporary car park since April and is managed by Euro Car Parks

City council planning officers rejected the plan to make both blocks student housing on the grounds it would likely result in more bed spaces being created on the site, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

That would, in turn, require officers to reconsider living standards and the impact of the scheme on local roads and neighbours.

As such, it would require a new application to allow all the factors to be properly considered, officers said.

Despite the plan to temporarily use the site as a car park, the applicant said it was still its intention to follow through with the redevelopment scheme but the car park allowed the landowner to "make the most efficient use of the site" while discussions continue.

The temporary use application is retroactive, with the land having been brought back into use as a car park with space for about 100 vehicles in April, documents show.

It is currently mostly being used by NHS workers, according to the application.