A long-vacant block of flats in Beaumont Leys is set to be demolished as part of Leicester City Council’s ambitious plans to deliver hundreds of new affordable homes across the city.
The seven-storey building known as The Leys, located off Upper Temple Walk, will be taken down starting Monday, October 27. The demolition will be carried out by O’Connell Contracting, appointed through a competitive tendering process. Due to the building’s proximity to nearby properties, the structure will be carefully dismantled floor by floor. Work is expected to take approximately five months to complete.
Picture credit: Leicester City Council
The site, along with adjoining land at John Calvert Court, will be redeveloped to provide 52 new council homes and a toddler playground accessible to the wider community.
Deputy City Mayor Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, who leads on housing, economy, and neighbourhoods, said the project forms part of the council’s ongoing response to the national housing crisis.
“The demolition of The Leys building will be the next step in our ambitious plans to deliver more than 1,500 new affordable homes across the city,” said Cllr Cutkelvin. “Leicester continues to face a housing crisis. It is essential we do everything we can to address the growing demand for high-quality affordable housing.”
The council originally purchased The Leys after it had stood empty for several years. Attempts to find a developer to refurbish the building were unsuccessful, prompting the decision to redevelop the site entirely.
The proposed scheme is part of a wider £200 million investment in affordable housing by Leicester City Council over the past three years. To date, the initiative has delivered 1,100 new homes. The council now expects to exceed its original goal of 1,500 homes, projecting a total of 1,600 to be completed by 2027.
The demolition and redevelopment of The Leys mark a key milestone in the city’s efforts to tackle its housing shortage. The council officially declared a housing crisis in late 2022, citing a critical shortfall in available social housing.
