Plans for new £3.5m city centre link route unveiled

Plans for a £3.5m revamp of part of Leicester city centre have been unveiled.

Leicester City Council said it wants to demolish empty shops it owns to create a new link between Green Dragon Square and St Martin's Square.

The authority said the scheme would create a "substantial" new green space in the city centre which would include a new play area.

Officials, who released artist impressions of the scheme on Wednesday, said work could start in November and take about 12 months to complete.

The council said just over £1m of the cost of the project was from a government grant to improve public transport in the city.

The site is currently a closed-off storage yard but council proposals include paved areas where street food vendors could trade.

Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "This new scheme gives us a wonderful opportunity to complete the link from Town Hall Square through to St Martin's Square and towards Leicester's Old Town.

It is also going to bring more much-needed green space to the heart of the city centre, as well as a place for families to rest and play.

"The area is not well used at the moment but has great potential."

Soulsby said previous proposals for a "boxpark" housing food units were not being brought forward.

"I think we can do something much better with this area," he said.

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