Student Housing Proposed for Loughborough’s Carillon Court Shopping Centre

The proprietors of a shopping precinct located in a Leicestershire town intend to file a planning application within “the coming weeks” to transform a section of the facility into student housing. Carillon Court in Loughborough has experienced numerous store closures, resulting in vacant units now exceeding occupied ones by nearly a two-to-one ratio. Leicester Commercial Ltd has stated that a £70 million redevelopment is planned to convert a portion of the site into residential units, aiming to maintain its “viability”. The company indicated that “a significant part” of Carillon Court, which has been labeled a “ghost town”, would be preserved for retail purposes under the proposed plans. According to a statement, the centre, which features a 340-space public car park, was acquired from administrators in 2021 because its former owners were running the premises, situated between Market Place and Market Street, “at a loss”. The statement continued: “In the current climate and with high street stores closing or consolidating in every city, to keep the centre viable the number of commercial units would need to be reduced.” “Reducing the number of units will create a more pleasant shopping experience rather than empty boarded-up shops.” Leicester Commercial Ltd further expressed its hope that establishing purpose-built student accommodation would “draw students out of traditional terraced housing”. Charnwood Borough Council stated that any submitted application would be processed in accordance with existing planning policy. A spokesperson for the council commented: “No-one wants to see empty units in a town centre and concerns about vacant units at the site have been communicated to the landowner.” “We would hope the owners of the site will be in a position to outline their plans for the future of the centre in the not-too-distant future.” Shoppers have observed the conditions within Carillon Court. Tracey Hounsome, a 62-year-old resident of Shepshed, initiated a petition to prevent the centre’s closure, expressing her distress over its “sad and sorry state”. She stated: “It was the hub of our community. There were no vacant units and people used to use the shops in there.” “It’s a sad state to see everywhere shutting down.” “The population is growing and yet you go into Loughborough and there’s no shops there.” “I started the petition and the reaction’s been really positive, getting people talking.” “Maybe we can change the future of Carillon Court by coming together as a community.” On Friday, other individuals in the town voiced similar concerns. Sarah Hampson, 56, from Nottingham, remarked: “It’s a bit soul destroying.” “I came into Loughborough as you know exactly what you can get here and I had a really good experience in Card Factory.” “But the shopping centre is just not what it was.” Roy Tivey, 83, of Whitwick, commented: “They say it’s going to be student accommodation.” “The people that live around here are not very happy with that.” Roy Penney, 71, a Loughborough resident, further stated: “I remember it being built, I worked nearby at Currys at the time.” “I remember you had a butcher’s shop there before, and the Green Man pub that’s still underneath.” “When it opened it was pretty busy, if you were after something you could find it.” “I don’t often cut through now, it’s like a ghost town.” “People are saying it’s going to be made into student lets. I don’t have anything against students, but not in the middle of town, it will put people off coming in.”