Leicester cultural quarter properties to be sold to council

The St George's Cultural Quarter covers the area around the Curve Theatre

Five properties in Leicester's St George's Cultural Quarter are to be bought by the city council at a cost of £1.6m.

The authority said the purchases would support its long-term ambitions to develop and transform the area.

It has not specified which properties it is buying but said it would confirm their identities once the deals had gone through.

The plans have been approved by city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby.

In a report seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council said controlling the properties, alongside those it already owns, would give it more scope to regenerate the area.

The authority has said it wants to create a vibrant community in the quarter, which lies around the Curve theatre, combining a mix of cultural facilities, leisure, the arts, urban living and creative sector jobs.

It has also said that owning the properties would make it easier for the authority to get government funding for future schemes in the area.

The £1.6m comes from a pot of money the council has set aside for "strategic acquisitions".

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