It has earmarked a number of properties it will sell in 2023-24, all of which are located on Stoughton Drive South. These include a number of accommodation blocks such as Digby House, Inglewood, Highgrove, Hastings House and Meadowcourt Blocks.
The university said the money raised from the sales “will enable long-term investment” in its properties in the city. This includes working alongside Oadby, Wigston Borough Council and others to promote the botanic garden.
Read more: Historic Leicester building The Rowans is to be put up for auction by the city council
Described as a “true oasis in the neighbourhood”, the Botanic Garden in Glebe Road was opened in the 1920s, and the grounds feature an extensive collection of plants, woodlands, gardens and a series of greenhouses displaying temperate and tropical plants. The 16-acre site is free to enter seven days a week.
Kirsty Woodward, Director of Estates and Campus Services at the University of Leicester, said: “We are committed to Oadby and have no plans to leave, but we look forward to investing and enhancing our properties at Oadby over the next 10 years.
“Although all of our properties are compliant with safety regulations, some now require greater long-term investment. Our plans focus on investing in quality, while disposing of a small number of properties, in order to reinvest in our remaining accommodation of Our 1,600 bed space at Oadby, the Botanic Garden and our estate as a whole.
The area’s MP, Conservative Neil O’Brien, has previously called for improvements to the botanic garden and said he wanted to see a café built to attract more people. He praised the new plan and said a bid for Leveling Up funding from the government would be used to reopen a disused building called The Knoll in the park to provide this.
He said: “The Botanic Gardens at Oadby are fantastic. It’s a beautiful space and open to the public. It’s peaceful and full of interesting plants from all over the world. Very few universities have anything like it. At the moment, relatively few people compare the gardens to how good they are.” I have been calling for a café to be built there to make it more attractive and to create more to do there.
“I am delighted that the University of Leicester is now looking at how to renovate The Knoll to provide a café, community space and possibly offices for start-ups. This could be a win-win project, providing a benefit to residents, and getting more people using it. A fantastic park, and it is also creating jobs locally.” “It will be amazing to see this wonderful local landmark restored to its former glory.”