Details for the demolition of Leicester’s New Walk Centre have been announced, including the exclusion zone around the centre.
A video has also been produced which shows an animated version of the demolition which is due to take place later this month.
Between 6am and 6pm on Sunday 22 February, streets will be closed in a 150-metre radius of the former council offices at Welford Place.
Businesses and residents in the area are being sent letters explaining when the exclusion zone will come into effect, and what measures are being put in place to offer temporary accommodation during the demolition event.
The exclusion zone includes an area bordered by Upper Brown Street, Chancery Street and part of Pocklingtons Walk, part of Market Street including the Fenwick store, Wellington Street, Park Street, and the bottom section of New Walk from approximately Holy Cross Church.
The zone will then extend across New Walk to King Street at its junction with Marquis Street, before crossing Duke Street, Mill Street, and Welford Road near Bannatyne’s gym.
The boundary will continue through to the rear of buildings on the western side of Welford Road, York Road and behind Newarke Street Car Park, which will be closed for the duration of the demolition.
A map of the exact exclusion area can be viewed at www.leicester.gov.uk/newwalkcentre
During the closure, buses will not serve Pocklingtons Walk and Horsefair Street on inbound journeys, or Belvoir Street, Welford Place and part of Welford Road on outbound journeys.
Buses will still depart from their normal city centre bus stops and details of diversions will be posted on the city council website once they are finalised.
From 6pm on Saturday, February 21, on-street parking restrictions will come into effect, to ensure that no vehicles are left parked overnight within the exclusion zone, or in the nearby Newarke Street Car Park.
The full road closures come into effect at 6am on the Sunday morning. People using roads in the area that day are advised to allow extra time for their journeys.
The exact timing of the demolition itself will be determined on the day by specialists from DSM Demolition, which is carrying out the New Walk Centre work.
The chosen method of demolition, known as a controlled initiated collapse, uses pre-weakening and explosives to bring down the two towers into their own footprint.
Specialist cleaners will move onto the site immediately following the demolition.
The technique was chosen as the safest and fastest method of demolishing the towers, with roads and businesses expected to be open as normal by Sunday afternoon.
People who have been evacuated from homes and businesses in the exclusion zone will be able to watch the demolition live on a big screen at the Leicester Tigers’ Welford Road ground.
No provision has been made for public viewing of the demolition, and the exact time of the demolition will not be advertised, although people are welcome to watch from outside the exclusion area.
