Leicester city council is set to launch the Greyfriars Townscape Heritage Initiative tomorrow (Wednesday 13 May), which aims to improve the historic ‘Greyfriars’ area of the city centre.

Over the course of the next five years, the initiative will help at least 20 of the most historically important buildings in the area, to the south of Leicester Cathedral, be regenerated and restored to their former splendour.

Leicester council have put £450,000 into the scheme, with the rest being made up of funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The ‘Greyfriars’ area of the city is situated within the Castle Ward, and is centred around Friar Lane – where the body of Richard III was found (click on the image below to see the full area in detail):

The target areas for the council’s new initiative include: New Street, Millstone Lane, Friar Lane, Wycliffe Street and parts of St Martins and Peacock Lane.

Business/property owners in the Greyfriars area will be encouraged to apply for funding to help restore and repair building fronts, lost architectural features such as original windows, fencing and decorative masonry, or to simply bring empty space back into use.

The main stated aims of the Greyfriars Townscape Heritage Initiative are to:

Make the historic core of the city more legible.

Make the area more attractive and inviting to occupiers and visitors.

Stimulate economic growth by making the historic core more inviting for commercial investors and residential use.

Increase understanding and help people value Leicester’s historic development, particularly the area of Leicester’s old town.

Increase greater participation and understanding in conserving Leicester’s historic environment.

Improve the local heritage skills sector through training in related skills .

Speaking ahead of the launch, newly re-elected City Mayor Peter Soulsby said:

“The Greyfriars area is one of the city’s architectural and historical treasures. “The generous support from the Heritage Lottery Fund will help us restore important examples of the city’s built heritage and invest in making the area more attractive to visitors. “This launch event is a great example of how we can encourage people to enjoy this fascinating part of the city centre and discover its hidden history for themselves.”

The initiative will be fully launched during an event tomorrow hosted in an old factory courtyard on Millstone Lane – just past The Boot Room restaurant.

Also expected during the event is confirmation on what will replace the recently demolished New Walk Centre.

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