PEOPLE who live and work in the Stocking Farm area of Leicester are being asked for their view on developing ideas to regenerate the area.
Over 2,000 letters have been delivered to homes and businesses in the area inviting people to take part in a second stage of public engagement to help identify what the local priorities are for the area’s future regeneration.
The views and comments received will continue to help shape the regeneration proposals for the 3.34-acre site at Stocking Farm that could include new homes, new shops and new facilities for the local community.
Bounded by Marwood Road, Halifax Drive and Packwood Road, the proposed site includes the 19thcentury Stocking Farm farmhouse – which is currently vacant – various under-used community buildings, an outdoor multi-use games area, a number of vacant garages, some shops, a post office, and a social club.
As result of the first stage of public engagement – which saw 238 people and families respond – the city council is now working with award-winning social enterprise Community Shop to bring a new branch to the vacant youth centre on Marwood Road early in 2022.
The city council has also used the findings from the first local survey to help identify people’s key priorities for the future regeneration of the area.
These are:
- Improved shops – including a convenience store, takeaway and post office
- New indoor community space
- New outdoor community space
- New council homes
- Improved footpaths across the area, with better connections to nearb streets
A new online survey will ask people to rate how important these general proposals are and what types of facilities they would like to see developed. The feedback will help shape the final proposals for the area.
City mayor Peter Soulsby said: “It’s really important that people who live in Stocking Farm continue to help shape its future by letting us know if our proposals accurately reflect what their priorities are for the area.
“Although still at a relatively early stage, we are already making good progress towards shaping a vision that will bring unused land and property back into use and help kickstart the regeneration of this important neighbourhood.
“I am pleased that we have already been able to make it possible for Community Shop to make use of the vacant youth centre on Marwood Road and we look forward to the opening of their new store and community facilities early in the area early in the new year.”
The city council was earlier this year awarded £490,000 of funding from the government’s One Public Estate programme to help deliver high quality council homes on the site.
The consultation website – my.engaged.space/stockingfarmstagetwo – goes live from today (Thursday 14 October) and people will have until Sunday 7 November to submit their views.
Anyone unable to complete the survey online can pick up a hard copy of the questionnaire from the Nisa Local shop on Marwood Road.