16th December 2003
LRC confirm consultants for Leicester waterside

On 10th December 2003, the Leicester Regeneration Company (LRC) appointed a team of specialist consultants to create a development framework for the redevelopment of the Leicester Waterside in the Frog Island area of central Leicester. The Waterside is one of the five key projects in the LRC masterplan.

The team will be headed up by the partnership ‘White Young Green’ - engineering, traffic and project management consultants and ‘Hopkins Architects’ - specialists in British architecture and urban design. The rest of the team will comprise of: King Sturge – property consultants, Innes England – local property consultants, James Sellicks- residential specialists, JS & P Architecture –local architects and Battle McCarthy- experts in sustainable development.

This exciting scheme will transform Leicester’s ten miles of waterside, much of which is currently underused and underdeveloped. The LRC aims to reunite this unique waterfront with the rest of the city centre to create a vibrant and cosmopolitan area, with residential development and commercial facilities. A city centre marina and beautiful waterside are also planned as key focal points, which aim to attract investment, new residents and visitors to this brand new development.

Over the next four months, an intensive programme will be undertaken by the LRC and its consultants to develop the concepts presented in the masterplan into a clear plan for delivery. The precise location and size of the proposed marina will be decided, a design plan for the residential and commercial uses will be prepared and the highways framework surrounding the area will be redesigned. The proposed plans will be revealed by the LRC and its consultants in April 2004, when the Leicester public will be fully consulted. In the meantime, LRC will keep businesses in the area fully informed, and invites them to contact LRC with any queries they might have.

Caroline Simpson Watkinson, Development Manager for the Waterside project at the Leicester Regeneration Company said:

“The appointment of consultants is a major turning point for the LRC. There is already a wealth of activity taking place around the waterside and the LRC’s exciting project can now promote this further. This scheme is about quality, vast amounts of public space and getting much better access to the waterways in the city, which are truly stunning but have been hidden for many years”

She adds:
“We appointed this specialist team as they possessed all of the attributes we were seeking from a consultant team. The WYG Hopkins team, which includes several local specialists, has an intimate knowledge of Leicester, which is complemented by substantial national experience in planning other large scale projects like the Leicester waterside. The team also benefits from a strong understanding of sustainability issues, which is imperative to the success of the waterside.”

Derek Hickman, White Young Green’s, Project Manager for the Waterside framework said:
“As a national Consultant but with a significant local office employing 75, we have already carried out initial feasibility studies for the marina and its surrounding traffic. We are therefore particularly pleased to be able to continue to work on such an exciting and prestigious project in the heart of Leicester. We have assembled an excellent team who are very keen to deliver a unique and vibrant solution to the development of the waterside.”

The LRC received over 35 applications from organisations wishing to tender for this project and 4 organisations were invited to an interview.

The LRC was set up in 2001, and is a not for profit partnership between the public sector, private sector and the wider community. The company’s aim is to improve the physical image and environment of the city and further its economic prosperity. In 2002, the LRC launched a Masterplan, which is a framework for redevelopment in the city centre around the ring road and along the Grand Union Canal/River Soar for the next ten to fifteen years. The masterplan encompasses five important projects: the Waterside, New Community, Science and Technology Park, Prime Office Core and Retail Circuit. Visit the LRC on leicesterregeneration.co.uk

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