Housing plan for Corah site set to be approved

MOST OF FACTORY EXPECTED TO BE RAZED FOR 1,100 HOMES AS WELL AS SHOPS AND HOTEL

- By HANNAH RICHARDSON

VISION: Artist's impression of how the development of the Corah factory site could look

(CITYREGEN LEICESTER AND GALLIFORD TRY INVESTMENTS)

A MAJOR city centre housing development looks set to be given the go-ahead.

The plan to almost entirely flatten the historic Corah factory site and build homes in its place has been on the cards for years.

The scheme, which is expected to deliver up to 1,100 properties, could also see space set aside for takeaways, pubs and bars, a hotel and a multi-storey car park.

The proposals have split opinion among residents and heritage groups, however, with nostalgia for the former textile works strong among many.

Some have labelled the proposal a “tragic end” for the site, while others feel the buildings have become an “eyesore” and it is time to say goodbye to Corah in its current form.

Three years on from when the plans were first revealed, a decision over whether the project can go ahead is to be made.

Planning officers at Leicester City Council have recommended councillors approve the scheme when the planning committee meets tomorrow.

Officers have recognised flattening most of the site would cause “substantial harm” from a heritage point of view, however.