PLANS to demolish a section of an iconic ’90s UK shopping centre have been given the go-ahead.
Last week, a local planning committee approved an application to knock down part of the Loughborough location.
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Plans have been approved to demolish parts of the Carillon Court shopping centre in Loughborough Credit: Alamy
The iconic venue has been loved by residents since the 90s Credit: Alamy
Plans to bulldoze Carillon Court were submitted to Charnwood Borough Council (CBC), by Leicester Commercial Ltd in 2025.
On Thursday, May 14, a partial demolition of the town centre site was officially approved.
Documents submitted by Leicester Commercial Ltd said the proposed demolition would provide a “clean, tidy, cleared site ready for future redevelopment”.
According to local councillors, a number of previous applications to demolish sections of the site had been refused.
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Rhys Cory-Lowsley, councillor for Loughborough Southfields, said: “Without any plans as to what might happen next, we have no assurance that anything will be done, or how long we might have a demolition site for a town centre.”
According to the applicant, demolition must be completed before final plans are drawn up in case any archaeological obstacles were uncovered.
The applicant pointed out that granting permission would “unlock” this next phase of the scheme, with more information on future plans available once the groundwork had been completed.
Certain aspects of the structure will be retained, including the arch, using existing columns, according to the developer.
“The ultimate intention for Carillon Court includes its redevelopment for a mixed-use scheme,” a report submitted by the applicant reads.
“The proposed development seeks the demolition of a limited number of the existing vacant units to provide a clean, tidy, cleared site ready for future redevelopment.”
It added the demolition of empty units “would not prevent the continued operation” of the rest of the shopping centre.
However, the move has been met with objection from residents, with many sharing their concerns that prolonged demolition work will “completely destroy the town centre”.
Others have described the removal of the retail units as “disgraceful” and called the move a “crazy idea”.
The Jattvibe has reached out to Leicester Commercial Ltd and Charnwood Borough Council for comment.
