Main works to revamp one of Leicester’s busiest shopping streets and refurbish the street-facing ground floor of the landmark Grand Hotel building are now complete.
Leicester City Council has carried out a range of improvements to part of Granby Street – between Dover Street and Belvoir Street – to create more space for cyclists and pedestrians and the potential for outdoor café-style seating areas.
Former pay-and-display parking bays – which have been out of use for more than three years – have now been converted into wider, high-quality footpaths and cycleways to help improve the route between the railway station and the city centre. The main carriageway, which is still open to general traffic, has also been completely resurfaced.
New on-street parking bays have been created on nearby Chatham Street, York Street and Calais Street.
The works are part of wider, ongoing heritage-led investment to improve the shopping environment on Granby Street.
This includes the refurbishment of the Grade II-listed Grand Hotel’s street-facing ground floor and historic shopfronts, which have undergone a year-long revamp and renovation programme as part of Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zones.
The shopfronts that line the hotel building’s Granby Street ground level have been restored to as close to the building’s original design as possible, using sustainable hardwood and toughened glass.
Recessed doorways have been fitted with bespoke iron gates and all shops now have new signage that complements the architectural heritage of the building.
Improvements have been made to the hotel’s oriel windows and balcony. The distinctive canopy above the Grand Hotel’s main Granby Street entrance has also been restored to its former glory.
The work was funded by a £700,000 award from the High Street Heritage Action Zones programme, with the hotel owners contributing a further £200,000 towards the costs.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “The Grand Hotel is a fine example of Leicester’s Victorian past and the city’s rich architectural heritage. With support from Historic England, this landmark building and its historic shopfronts have been restored to their former glory.
“Alongside this, we have made major improvements to this part of Granby Street, creating more space for pedestrians and for outdoor café-style seating along this important and well-used gateway into the city centre.
“It is important that we continue to invest in these sorts of ambitious improvement schemes, working with property owners and businesses to improve shopfronts, preserve the architectural heritage of our historic buildings, and help ensure our shopping streets continue to be welcoming and attractive places to visit and enjoy.
“We have seen how this approach can be a catalyst to transform areas like the Old Town and help attract millions of pounds of private investment into the city centre.”
Andrew Pring asset and investment manager at Jupiter Hotels, the owners of the Grand Hotel, said: “We are delighted with the improvements made to the façade of the hotel and would like to thank all those that have been involved with this project.
“Work has now commenced to completely refurbish the internal areas of the hotel with all 104 bedrooms being extensively upgraded along with all the public areas. We are looking forward to reopening the hotel and welcoming guests in the spring of 2025.”
Louise Brennan, Historic England Regional Director (Midlands), said: “The Grand Hotel scheme is a brilliant example of how heritage can contribute to the regeneration of our towns and cities. Our past is part of our future, and it’s great to see the results of our work with Leicester City Council and the owners of the hotel.
“The restoration and public realm works are a triumph for this part of Leicester, giving new life to a Victorian icon of the city.”
Work to restore the Grand Hotel was led by Leicester-based Hickman & Smith Architects and carried out by specialist contractors Trinity. Early survey and design work was undertaken by conservation experts Conception Architects.
Improvements to Granby Street itself were carried out by the city council’s in-house team of expert stone masons and highways engineers. Final works to close off Dover Street are planned in the new year.
