SGP’s 50th Anniversary – Celebrating the Completion a Key Leicester Regeneration Project

It seems fitting that, as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we take a look at one of our key projects in the city where we were founded. Established by Stephen George in Leicester in 1970, SGP is proud to have played a role in the growth and development of the city over the last 50 years and share in the city council’s ambitious vision for change and investment.

In 2015 SGP was commissioned by Charles Street Buildings Group to develop a masterplan that would transform a 1.89ha site that incorporates both the Great Central Station and former Stibbe factory sites in central Leicester.

At the start of 2020, our anniversary year, we were delighted to announce the completion of No1 Great Central Square, a £7.3 million, 33,000sq ft Grade A office building on the old factory site and the completion of the refurbishment of the former Great Central Railway Station.

The £45 million masterplan transforms the site into the wider Great Central Square redevelopment, which is set within the Waterside Strategic Regeneration Area. The site also features two new hotels and a new public plaza, all of which have been masterplanned by SGP.

At the heart of the proposal is a new traffic-free public space, which includes part of Great Central Street so that the refurbished station becomes integral to the development. The Masterplan has also involved the creation of a new pedestrian “super-crossing” of Vaughan Way, linking the development directly to the city centre.

“Leicester city centre is undergoing widespread transformation, with regeneration projects in the cultural, business and waterside quarters,” said Ian Yallop, Chairman at SGP. “The station and Stibbe sites represent an important part of the jigsaw: having lain neglected for so long, the Masterplan breathes new life into the area with new buildings and a public space which will add to Leicester’s developing sequence of squares.

“We are tremendously proud of our history in Leicester and our continuing role in the future development of this vibrant city, delivering aspirational places with a strong local identity, where people can feel safe and businesses can flourish.”