Pub demolished ahead of railway station revamp

A public open space is planned where the pub once stood

A 1930s art deco pub has been demolished ahead of a £22m revamp of Leicester's railway station.

The Parcel Yard, in London Road, was flattened this week to make way for a new public space outside the station.

Work to demolish the building, named after the station's former sorting office and parcel yard, began in February.

Leicester City Council previously said the work would allow the facade of the station building "to be revealed and restored to its Victorian glory".

The building was also home to a taxi firm and a barber's shop

Planning permission for the station refurbishment was granted by the authority earlier this month.

Under the plans, the station's entrance will move from London Road to Station Street, which will be closed to traffic and replaced with a new pedestrianised public plaza.

The station's existing covered entrance hall area will be turned into a new plaza for shopping, food and drinks.

Gary Akiens, from the Leicester Campaign for Real Ale, said: "The plans look good but a good station needs a good pub.

The site is expected to be cleared by the end of October

"I hope there will be something like a micro-pub in the finished scheme."

A spokesperson for the authority said the pub demolition phase of the project would be completed by the end of October.

It is then hoping to appoint a contractor to carry out the wide scheme in 2025.

The project is being largely funded from a £17.6m Levelling Up grant from the government.

Final designs for the scheme were revealed in May