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Plans to demolish historic Empire Hotel look set to be approved

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Controversial plans to flatten a 19th century former pub and replace it with a discount supermarket look set to be approved. German firm Lidl wants to demolish the historic Empire Hotel in Fosse Road North, Leicester. The proposal sparked a campaign by heritage campaigners to save the building, which was once a Georgian health spa and hotel. Planners at Leicester City Council, which is considering Lidl's proposal, have been sent 158 objections to the scheme. However they have still advised the project be approved by planning committee members who will meet on Wednesday (3) to decide the matter. The campaign to save the building from the bulldozers has been led by Leicester's Civic Society. Society chairman Stuart Bailey said: "Despite the fact that the hotel building occupies less than 10 per cent of the site and could be retained as part of any development, Lidl claim the retention of any building on the site would fail to conform to their "retail model". "In this day and age we simply cannot afford to lose any more of our buildings from the Georgian era." Under the proposal the remains of the fire damaged St Augustine's Church, next to the Empire would be cleared. Lidl says the Empire is in a poor state of repair and its scheme will regenerate the area and create 40 full and part-time jobs. Lidl says there are no other viable plans for the building other than the one it is proposing. Besides the 158 objections, planners at the city council have also received 68 supporting comments. The objectors say the building should be reused or incorporated into the new design and that the area does not need another supermarket. It has been suggested a residential development would be better but a number of such schemes have been proposed and approved in the past but have not been carried out. Both the Empire and the church are on the council's local list of heritage assets despite their derelict state. However a spokesman for the council's planning department said: "The former Empire pub has been empty for a number of years and is currently in a poor state of repair with the site often used for fly-tipping, the building boarded up and used for graffiti. "The proposal will provide wider benefits for the area, retail choice, the provision of jobs and the overall regeneration of the site."

Plans to demolish historic Empire Hotel look set to be approved


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