PEOPLE who live and work in the Stocking Farm area of Leicester are once again being asked for their input into ambitious regeneration plans for the neighbourhood.
Over 2,000 letters have been delivered to homes and businesses in the area, inviting people to take part in a third and final round of public engagement as development plans for Stocking Farm begin to take shape.
Emerging plans could see around 50 new low carbon council homes built on the 3.34-acre site, along with new community facilities and shops. The area would also be re-landscaped to provide more attractive outdoor space, with improved footpaths, sustainable drainage and places for wildlife to flourish.
The existing Stocking Farm farmhouse – which dates back to the 19th century – could be redeveloped to provide supported living apartments, while a new access road with improved crossing facilities could be created.
As a result of the first stage of public engagement – which took place in early 2021 – the city council has already worked with award-winning social enterprise Community Shop to bring a new branch to the former youth centre on Marwood Road. The new community-focused hub, which opened earlier this month, provides members with cheap and affordable groceries in the supermarket, while the wider community can benefit from a community kitchen, a café where children can eat for free, and a new indoor ‘community zone’.
A new online survey will ask people for their feedback on more detailed proposals, which will help inform the final phase of developing the plans. These will be subject to planning permission and an application is likely to be submitted this summer.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “We think we can deliver something very special for people who live and work in Stocking Farm and we are working up some very ambitious plans.
“The feedback that we have received so far has played an important part in helping to shape the proposals, and it’s really vital that people continue to let us know what they think through this next phase of engagement.
“I’m really proud and pleased that Community Shop has opened a store in the area but this is just a first step in our plans to revamp and help revitalise this important neighbourhood.”
People can take part in the online survey by visiting my.engaged.space/stockingfarmstagethree/
The consultation closes on 15 May.
Two drop-in information events have also been organised. These will take place in the new community zone inside Stocking Farm Community Shop on Friday, May 6, from 1pm to 7pm, and on Saturday, May 7, from 10am until 2pm.
Paper copies of the survey are also available by calling Freephone 0800 170 1223.
Leicester City Council successfully secured £86,750 from the Government’s Proptech Digital Engagement Fund in March 2022 to pay for its programme of engagement activities for the Stocking Farm neighbourhood redevelopment.
Image credit: Artist’s impression, showing proposals for the frontage along Marwood Road in Stocking Farm, by Levitate Architects