Back in October, The University of Leicester announced a transformative £500 million programme of investment that will improve student and academic facilities as well as public spaces over the next decade.
Now, as part of that programme, the University and their development partners Equitix and Kier have revealed the first images of their planned new student village at Freemen’s Common, and are inviting people to have their say. This marks the start of a consultation with the local community – including staff and students – prior to the submission of a planning application.
The proposed development includes new accommodation for around 1200 students across seven new blocks; a flexible new academic building – the Teaching and Learning Centre; and a 550-space multi-storey car park.
A key feature of the development is to include the social spaces and facilities to provide a real home-from-home environment for the next generation of students. This will include a new café bar with indoor/outdoor space, as well as a screen room, games area and social study areas. The outdoor spaces form a central part of the scheme, including a series of new gardens, squares, wildflower planting and trees. This will create a series of inviting spaces that provides a sense of relaxation and wellbeing, as well as playing a vital role in encouraging biodiversity.
The proposals at Freemen’s Common form a key part of the University’s wider estates transformation programme, which is a ten year vision to invest in teaching and research facilities, student accommodation and the public spaces around the University.
Brita Sread, Director of Estates and Campus Services, said: “The new student village at Freemen’s Common is a key project within our estates transformation programme. We identified this site as having the potential to create a fantastic new environment for students to live, study and socialise. It is ideally located adjacent to our central campus.”
Two pre-planning application consultation events are being held next week:
Wednesday 8 November 2017
2.30pm to 8:00pm
Big Shed Conferencing, 93 Commercial Square, Leicester LE2 7SJ
Friday 10 November 2017
2:30pm to 6:30pm
Council Rooms 1 and 2, Fielding Johnson Building, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH
Following the consultation events, the team will be working to finalise the proposals and submit a planning application before the end of the year.
