Car park plan for site of Leicester's former tallest residential building
The 22-storey Goscote House building was demolished in 2023
A patch of land once home to Leicester’s tallest residential building could be brought back into use. The Highfields site was the former home of Goscote House, a 22-storey block of flats which boasted 134 council homes at the end of its life.
However, Leicester City Council decided in 2018 to relocate everyone living there and tear down the building. City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said at the time the building “harked back to a time when housing needs were very different” and the decision was made because the building “no longer met the standards expected of modern accommodation”.
The demolition of Goscote House was completed in 2023 and the space has been empty ever since. Now, a new use has been proposed for the site – at least temporarily – with Leicester City Council looking to build a public car park there.
However, there would be a time limit on how long the car park would be in use, if the scheme is approved. Under the plan, there would be an “initial limited period of three years”, documents submitted to the authority’s planning department show.
The temporary use has been put forward as the long-term plan for the land “is yet to be decided” by the council. If approved, there would be 35 spaces in the car park.
The authority said it anticipates the “highest demand” will come from the users of the St Peters Health Centre, located over the road from the former tower block. The need for parking for service users “far exceeds” the current parking available to them resulting in “overspill within the immediate area from both legally and illegally parked vehicles, , the council added.
Visitors to Moat Community College, The African Caribbean Centre, and The Highfields Centre could also benefit from the additional spaces, planning documents continued. Access to the car park would be from Willow Court, with drivers exiting via Moon Close.
A one-way system would be enforced. Of the 35 proposed spaces, two would be designated for disabled parking. Blue badge holders would also be able to park for free in any of the spots.
Current proposals are for the car park to operate on a 24/7 basis. Charges would be at a rate of £1 for every hour a vehicle is there.