AN ambitious neighbourhood regeneration project has reached an important milestone with the first fully refurbished properties brought into use as new council homes.
Leicester City Council is transforming 174 disused and derelict former nurses’ homes, near Leicester General Hospital in Evington, into one of the largest new council housing estates to be created in decades.
The properties in Hospital Close were abandoned in 2019 when University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) NHS Trust said it could not afford to upgrade the homes to modern standards.
Leicester City Council stepped in and has almost completed the first phase of an ambitious and complex refurbishment programme to bring the empty properties back into use as family-friendly council houses and revitalise the neglected estate.
Residents have now started moving into the first wave of new homes to be completed as part of the major scheme.
In total, the city council will create 135 new affordable family homes at Hospital Close.
In the first phase – which is due to be completed in the coming weeks – 35 semi-detached two- and three-bedroom houses have been fully refitted and overhauled. The new homes also feature a range of energy efficiency measures including roof-mounted solar panels and internal insulation.
As a result of the extensive refurbishment and investment in the properties, all first phase homes have received the highest possible EPC (energy performance certificate) A rating, meaning the measures will lead to cheaper energy bills for tenants and significant carbon savings.
The city council has now contracted Lovell Partnerships to deliver the second phase of regeneration at Hospital Close, which will deliver a further 100 new homes for families.
Work is due to begin on this second phase early next month.
This will involve remodelling and modernising 13 blocks of former nurses’ halls of residence with shared kitchens and bathrooms into self-contained two-bedroom council flats.
The second phase of redevelopment will also include remodelling 14 flats with adaptations for disabled people.
The council has recently been awarded over £800,000 from the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to support the installation of a range of low carbon and energy efficient measures including heat pumps, external wall insulation and solar panels.
Landscaping and green space along the tree-lined street is also due to be revamped. The existing trees will be maintained, and new planting will be introduced to enhance biodiversity in the area and provide habitats for wildlife. The re-landscaped areas will also act as rain gardens to provide improved, sustainable drainage. New play areas will be created and raised crossing points installed at intervals along the road, which is also due to be resurfaced.
The overall scheme is due to be complete in early 2027.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who leads on housing and neighbourhoods, said: [DRAFT] “Hospital Close has stood empty and unloved for far too long and it’s fantastic to see it being transformed into a new neighbourhood with 135 much-needed new council homes for families.
“This is a complex and ambitious scheme that, once complete, will create the largest new council estate in Leicester in decades. If the council hadn’t stepped to take this on, it’s likely that Hospital Close would have continued to stand empty and derelict.
“It’s been a challenging project, but it is hugely encouraging to see what has been achieved so far. The first houses are now complete, look great and have welcomed their first tenants.
“We’re now excited to be working with Lovell Partnerships on the second phase of this ambitious neighbourhood regeneration project which will deliver 100 high-quality, energy-efficient, new council homes for families.”
The cost of the Hospital Close regeneration scheme will be covered using money from Right to Buy receipts along with some borrowing, the costs of which will in turn be paid back by rental income from the new council homes.
Unused Right to Buy money is returned to the Government unless it is spent, so housing schemes like this help ensure the money is reinvested locally into much-needed affordable housing.