Plans have been unveiled to improve Leicester railway station.
Network Rail wants to close the vehicle entrance in London Road and pedestrianise more of the forecourt as part of a £3.5 million revamp of the grade II-listed building.
An application submitted to Leicester City Council for listed building consent, said: “At present, the gloomy interior appearance of the forecourt does little for the aesthetics and architectural merit of the station.
“The works will deliver a significant improvement to the overall appearance of the station.
“The improved entrance and dedication of over half of the covered forecourt to pedestrian use can only enhance the quality and aesthetics of the station.”
Archive for July, 2011
£3.5m plans to improve Leicester railway station
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011Average house price not due to increase till 2020
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011Analysis from accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has shown that house prices are not due to increase back to the usual peak until 2020.
There is a 50% chance that the increase will happen beforehand but there is a huge risk that the housing market is still going to fall throughout the year, this is now causing for concern as the road is looking a “long, slow road to recovery”.
House prices in May fell by 0.5%, causing the annual fall to 1.6%. Due to the fall the average UK home is worth £203,528. First time buyers were paying 21% lower in price than in May 2010. London has been the only place where there has been a price rise recorded.
New park and ride in Leicestershire
Monday, July 18th, 2011Birstall in Leicestershire has a brand new £5.5million park and ride scheme will be linked with the Enderby services – which opened in 2009. That service is being subsidised to the tune of £200,00 a year by the city and county councils.
Bosses from both councils hope hundreds of people from the north of the county will be attracted to the new service, which will mean they will be able to cut the subsidy needed for the Enderby service. Earlier this week the Mercury revealed the park and ride service to Enderby, which costs £830,000 to run, brought in an income of just £212,000 last year.
The Birstall service has been paid for by £5.25 million worth of grants from Government – the New Growth Point Fund and the Community Infrastructure Fund – and £250,000 from housing developer Jelson.
Lesley Pendleton, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Tackling congestion is one of our main priorities, and I’m pleased that by securing funding from the Government and a developer, we’ve been able to build this key project. By investing now we will reap the benefits in the future.”
Properties to rent in strong demand
Thursday, July 14th, 2011A recent survey suggests that there has been a continued rise in the number of people looking to rent homes.
Two years ago a survey found only 10% of letting agents had an over-supply of would-be tenants. But more recently the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) said 74% of its members had more prospective tenants than homes to let. ARLA also said that many people were being forced to rent homes because they could not afford to buy.
ARLA surveyed 479 members in the second quarter of this year.
The problem is most acute in central London, where 82% of ARLA members said they had a surplus of prospective tenants, compared with just 8% two years ago.
Cheques will not be scrapped in 2018
Wednesday, July 13th, 2011The Payments Council has now announced that cheques will be continuing for as long as people need them, the target for closure of the cheque clearing in 2018 has now been cancelled.
The Payments Council Board will continue to focus on security, efficiency and encouraging innovation in all types of payments to ensure customers have options best suited to the 21st century.
Small firms get positive response
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011Most small businesses in Leicester who applied for loans or overdrafts in the past 12 months were successful, according to new research.
Some 72 per cent of small and medium sized enterprises who applied for an overdraft said they got a positive response while 59 per cent of loan applicants were successful according to a study commissioned by the chief executives at Britain’s six biggest banks.
However, only one in six – or 15 per cent – of businesses surveyed have applied for a new facility or renewed an existing one in the past 12 months.
The figures, based on more than 5,000 telephone interviews, address concerns over the level of bank lending to small businesses after official figures suggested that banks were falling short of agreements drawn up with the Government under Project Merlin.
The research was conducted by market research firm BDRC Continental, which was selected by the cross-bank Business Finance Taskforce, to report on a quarterly basis.
Top tips on letting UK home when living abroad
Monday, July 11th, 2011With the British summer being hot one minute and wet the next, it’s little wonder thousands of people each year decide to move to sunnier climes.
For many, that raises questions about what to with their homes in the UK.
Ian Potter, operations manager at the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), said: “Many people who work or retire to another country choose to let their UK property to tenants. This is a smart move for many reasons but, as ever, it is important to ensure everything is done correctly.
“Using a professional letting agent and following our advice below should make sure UK properties are in good hands.”
Consider timings carefully: Make sure you give yourself enough time to get everything in place before you leave. Begin the process at least six months before you are due to leave for your new home.
Keep your standards high: Decorate, fit out and furnish to high quality standards, especially kitchens and bathrooms. This will help you to attract the best tenants and let quickly every time.
Use a letting agent, you can call our Estate and Letting agents in Leicester on 0116 258 1955 if you require more information. There are many reasons why you should consider letting your property through a letting agent. They can assist with finding a suitable tenant and manage the property in your absence.
Make sure your bank know what you’re doing: Your mortgage lender will need to know that you are letting out your home. It is also important to let your insurers know someone else will be living in your home.
Even if you are working and earning in a new country, you’ll still need to pay tax on earnings made on a UK property, and you will be required to complete a Non-Resident Landlord form.
Youngsters take on Golden Mile in bid for fitness
Friday, July 1st, 2011Children are being challenged to go the extra mile as part of a new fitness initiative.
The Golden Mile scheme aims to get pupils and teachers more active by challenging them to cover 50 miles in a school year.
It is taking place at 14 schools and Sure Start Centres in the Leicester South constituency, and was launched at Eyres Monsell Primary School by Leicestershire cricketer Paul Nixon.
Paul said: “It is crucial in today’s fast living society that we embrace good, old fashioned values.
“Walking or running the golden mile every week is a simple effective fun way of keeping body, mind and spirit in check.”
Participants’ progress will be monitored online, with tables for different schools and classes, as well as individuals.
The challenge has been set up by children’s coaching company Premier Sport to help tackle childhood obesity.
Follow us on
Follow us on