Flats plan unveiled for 150-year-old Leicester police station

It has been subject to anti-social behaviour over the years

A historic Leicester police station could be brought back into use as new homes, planning documents have revealed. The former Belgrave Police Station, in Loughborough Road, was built almost 150 years ago, in 1877, and has been vacant for many years.

However, it was only used as a base for first the Leicestershire County Force and latterly the Leicester Police Force as Belgrave is part of the city, for less than 60 years. In 1930, the building was sold off and the money used to install police telephone boxes across the city, planning documents state.

The station then spent the rest of the century as a warehousing and a distribution centre, including in the food industry. It has stood vacant since the early 2000s, however, and has been subject to anti-social behaviour in the years since.

The long period of disuse has also resulted in a lack of maintenance to the historic building, and it is currently listed on Leicester City Council’s Heritage at Risk register. Now, plans have been put forward to bring the property back into use as new homes.

Under the plan put forward, seven flats would be created in the building. These would be a mix of four two-beds and three one-beds, documents state.

A number of “poor-quality” and “piecemeal” extensions have been added to the rear of the building over the last century, documents added. These would be removed under the proposed development.

A new, “small” rear extension would then be built, and a roof extension would also feature in the plan. Each flat would come with a single parking space, while cycle parking would also be provided.

This is not the first attempt to bring the building back into use with a variety of applications ranging from a new hotel to student accommodation and a larger 17-home scheme all put forward. A similar scheme for seven flats was refused last year after planning officers ruled the new homes would offer poor living conditions and there would be a lack of privacy for both the proposed new tenants and neighbours. Concerns over highways and pedestrian safety were also raised.

Residents are able to have their say on the scheme until Tuesday, November 18, with more information available on the Leicester City Council planning portal.