Leicester Council Approves Boxing Gym Flats

0:00It's April 17th. You're listening to Lester News today, AI Power Local News. Lester City Council just greenlit plans to turn a rundown old boxing gym on Western Road into two blocks of flats. The site in Westcoats has been empty for years, and now it'll house 46 new homes in a four-story and a six-story building linked together. Demolitions are already approved, so work can start soon. They'll add 16 parking spots in 44 bike spaces on the ground floor, plus a shared garden and solar panels of top to make it. Eco-friendly. Neighbors weren't thrilled, though. 18 objections rolled in, mostly gripping about the building's height messing with the vibe of nearby Victorian. Houses, plus extra traffic and parking headaches. Planning officers push for approval anyway, saying it revives an neglected brownfield spot and meets the city's big knee for housing. They call the old gym architecturally, meh. In the end, the committee unanimously backed it on March 15th, so expect those fresh flats to rise up and breed new life into the block.