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Council Rejects Demolition of Loughborough Shopping Centre

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A proposal to demolish a 53-year-old shopping centre in Loughborough has been rejected by Charnwood Borough Council, with officials ruling that prior approval is needed for the demolition. The rejection has sparked concerns among locals that the site could be replaced with student accommodation, a move that has been labelled a "disgrace" by some opponents. The council's decision means that Leicester Commercial Ltd, the company behind the proposal, cannot proceed with the simplified demolition process and must now submit a full planning application.

Key Takeaways:

  • The council rejected the demolition application from Leicester Commercial Ltd, citing the need for full planning permission.
  • The proposed demolition would only affect part of the shopping centre, making it ineligible for permitted development rights.
  • The historic basement pub, The Green Man, cannot be demolished under permitted development rights due to regulations.
  • The council identified several problems with the submitted demolition method statement, including insufficient detail on how demolition would impact occupied shops beneath the car park.
  • The developers must now decide whether to submit a full planning application, which would require detailed proposals for the site's future use and extended public consultation.
  • Iain Lister, a director of Cafe-Ambience on Market Street, fears that his business could lose essential access for deliveries if the demolition goes ahead.
  • Leicester Commercial Ltd had repeatedly misspelt the centre's name as "Carillion Court" in documents submitted with the application.

Statistics:

  • The shopping centre, Carillon Court, is 53 years old.
  • The proposed demolition would only affect part of the shopping centre.
  • The council received objections from residents and businesses, including concerns about the loss of town centre parking and potential replacement with student housing.
  • The Green Man pub was built as part of the original 1971 development and was last open as a pub in 1993.
  • The affected area of the shopping centre includes units on Market Place that would remain standing.

Sources:

  • "Council rejects demolition plan for Loughborough shopping centre" (no publication date)
  • "Carillon Court, Loughborough" (google image by Matt Jarram)
  • "The Mercury" (newspaper)

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