Members in leadership positions at Leicester’s Little Theatre have said that they have about £900,000 for plans to revamp Granby Street will put audience members off from coming to performances. A section of the busy street, which connects the rail station to the city centre, is to be pedestrianised to try to make it a "more welcoming gateway".
“The move includes stopping up general traffic access from Granby Street into Dover Street where the theatre is located, as is the car park used by most of its customers. Access to Dover Street would be from the inner ring road via Calais Hill - which would be open to traffic in both directions. No stopping at any time restrictions will be put in place,” Leicester Mercury reported.
A spokesman for the trustees of the theatre, which is now allowed to re-open after lockdown, said: “Access to the theatre will be more difficult as there will no longer be through access via Granby Street. It will be harder for us to attract an audience to the theatre given that access and parking is more difficult. It creates a barrier to attendance which, given the profile of our audience, has more significance to us than for others.” The city council says closing the junction to motor vehicles will prevent Dover Street from being used as a ‘rat run’ to access Granby Street.
