EVERARDS “DRAGGING THEIR FEET” OVER COUNTY ARMS SITE
In an interview for Radio Leicester, Glen Parva councillor Geoff Welsh has hit out at Everards for “dragging their feet” over the County Arms site.
Cllr Welsh explained that Blaby District Council had granted planning permission in February for the site to be redeveloped as apartments with the main building being retained and with additional buildings on the old car park.
Geoff went on to say “Local people are absolutely fed up with the mess the site is in”. He continued, “Eight years is an unacceptable length of time for this key site to be left in this state. Everards have dragged their feet”.
He added that Everards have now written to one of the local councillors saying that due to the recession they fear that the development will not go ahead in the short term.
Geoff Welsh challenged Everards to at least re-open the access to the Grand Union canal. Geoff also said that Blaby District Council officers and Everards should get round a table and work out a way forward.
I previously reported that I had written to Everards to find out what their intentions are following the granting of planning permission on their County Arms site earlier in the year.
I have now received a reply from Everards which confirms my fears that no action has been seen on the site because of the down turn in the financial and property markets. The important paragraphs in the letter state that:-
“You will appreciate that market conditions have changed substantially since Everards embarked upon the planning process. The compromises that have been made, primarily to retain and convert the existing County Arms building ……. are now having a negative effect on the potential desirability and financial viability of the scheme in the market.
“The likelihood is that the market will have to improve before development/marketing of the site can be achieved.”
I am concerned that if there is no likelihood that building will start in the near future then the site will deteriorate even more. Already it is becoming a weedy shambles. I have therefore written to Everards to press them to take action to clean it up. My fellow District Councillors, Geoff Welsh and Alex Dilks are once again writing to Blaby District Council to ask them to chase Everards to clean up the site.
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