SGP Repurposes Former Leicester Council Depot to Light Industrial Units

Stephen George + Partners (SGP) is delighted to announce that planning permission has been granted to transform a former Leicester City Council housing depot into a hub for small to medium-sized light industrial businesses. Working for client Brackley Property Developments, SGP’s plans will see the construction of four buildings, containing 21 single storey industrial units, with car parking, servicing areas, cycle storage, and associated landscaping at Blackbird Road, Leicester.

Says Satnam Flora, Associate at SGP: “The new units are of varying sizes, from 70 sqm to 232 sqm, offering flexibility for a range of businesses, and particularly aiming to address the demand for high quality commercial employment workspace for start-up and growing businesses in the city. The 1-hectare site is very constrained, being surrounded by a mix of residential, community and industrial buildings. Our successful design has carefully considered the appearance, scale and height of the units, fitting them within their immediate built environment.”

SGP’s design creates a simple, aesthetically pleasing and functional group of terraces, using clean lines and a neutral colour palette to avoid dominating the surrounding area. The overall scheme creates a consistent built form, using robust and easily maintainable materials, such as profiled steel cladding systems and aluminium framed glazing, to aid longevity.

Sustainability is an important aspect of the scheme. The scheme will deliver a biodiversity net gain of 57.5% through enhancing the existing mixed scrub, which can support a range of wildlife including birds, small mammals and invertebrates, and developing new green spaces with neutral grassland and wildflower meadow. The units will focus on energy efficiency and photovoltaic panels shall be incorporated into the design. EV charging points will be provided, and the hub benefits from excellent public transport connections.

Concludes Satnam: “This redevelopment part of Leicester City Council’s on-going programme of new Levelling Up funded works, aimed at providing quality employment and transport infrastructure improvements in the city. The plans include other exciting schemes such as the £22million revamp of Leicester city train station and the expansion of Pioneer Park science and technology campus, where the latest SGP designed Dock units are currently on-site.”