Leicester Road Plans Scrapped - Another Success

Campaign groups have won a major victory in the battle to stop a 4-lane road being built through the middle of residential Leicester to feed a superstore development.

"No road - No way!", a network of 19 resident groups and both conservative & radical environmental groups, got the plans overturned at a packed Council meeting. City Challenge Ltd, an unelected and unaccountable business quango set up to spend £37 million in the “rejuvenation” of part of Leicester, said they were “astounded” at the decision. They may still push for an alternative, “low impact” route, but several communities have been spared, the superstore is seriously jeopardised and City Challenge itself could be in trouble.

The whole campaign highlighted the duplicity within business & councils, and the denial of community involvement. Groups are now riding on the success and trying to set the agenda for development themselves.

The diversity of approaches, and a good knowledge of planning was crucial. Hundreds of people, threatening to take direct action if the derision went against them, have been empowered by the campaign's success.