£20m Wheatsheaf project gets go-ahead
Urban Rhythm, the Market Harborough-based regeneration specialist, has been granted planning permission for a £20m residential project in Leicester. The former Wheatsheaf Works Boot and Shoe Factory will be redeveloped into 172 homes.
The development, on Knighton Fields Road East, comprises two grade-II listed factory buildings and a clock tower.
When it was built in 1891, Wheatsheaf Works was one of the largest footwear factories in the world.
Plans for the development, which comprises a mixture of brand new townhouses and converted homes in the original buildings, have been devised by Leicester architects JSP Architecture.
The project will be developed by Urban Rhythm - the specialist regeneration arm of Leicestershire housebuilder The Hazelton Group.
Richard Hazelton, commercial director at The Hazelton Group, said: “We are delighted to have been granted planning permission for this stunning new development.
“We’re sure our refurbishment of the grade-II listed buildings, which have been left derelict for the past ten years, and development of the surrounding site will act as a catalyst to draw homeowners to the area and help to regenerate the local community.
“The scheme will breathe new life back into a building steeped in history so that it may be appreciated as an integral part of the community once again.”
