Decision made on future of derelict and burnt-out Leicester pub

A former Leicester pub which has stood empty for years is set for a new lease of life. Approval for the Mayflower, in Gervas Road, Thurnby Lodge, to be turned into a place of worship and community center was granted by Leicester City Council’s planning committee last night (Wednesday).

The building has been vacant since it closed in 2017 and was slated for demolition. However, seven years later it is still standing and has fallen into disrepair and was the target of vandals with an alleged arson attack on the site in 2021.

Residents in the area complained that their neighborhood had become “depressing” and looked “depressed” as a result of several empty properties, including the pub.

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A plan submitted to the council proposed using the ground floor of the former pub as a place of worship and “multi-purpose room”.

According to the plan, the first floor will consist of classrooms and a conference room. The building will be used between 9am and 9pm Monday to Friday and between 9am and 5pm at weekends, subject to conditions set by the council’s planning department.

The complainant said he expected 30 worshipers to attend regular prayers, with “larger numbers on Fridays”, and 75 students to attend evening classes held between 5pm and 7pm during the week. Concerns were raised by councilors about both the proposed entrants and opening times.

Various committee members questioned whether those visiting the place of worship would be expected to come from the local area or further afield. They expressed concern that if it were the latter, participants would be more likely to drive and could cause congestion and impact on parking in the area.

However, planning officers said in a report before the decision: “(The plan) states that the proposal is primarily for the local community and most users would walk. Due to the relatively modest size of the site and the fact that the site is in a predominantly residential area, it would be fair to assume that the majority of users may come from relatively close proximity.”

Councilor Abdul Osman also questioned the opening hours, saying he feared they would be too restrictive for the proposed use of the building. Speaking in his capacity as ward councilor for the area and in support of the plan to bring the building back into use, he said: “A community center that closes at 5pm will not serve the needs of the faith community. This will make a huge difference to the applicant and they will not be able to use it.

“I know that St. Peter’s Church, for example, opens and can be rented until 11 p.m. City mosques, temples, Gurdwaras and all are used from early morning till late evening.”

Planning officers said in their report that the applicant would be able to apply for the condition restricting hours of use to be lifted in the future, but said the current proposed hours were considered adequate to limit the impact of noise on nearby homes. They added: “Once the use is established we would obviously be willing to consider an application to vary the status and that would allow a reconsideration of the impact at that time.”

Additional information submitted to the council this week suggests the applicant is now looking for the building to be used between 4am and 11pm in summer and 6am and 9pm in winter. Officers said these changes were not requested in time for them to fully consider them before the hearing.

Ultimately, councilors felt that giving the property a new lease of life was a positive step for the area. They voted in accordance with the officers’ recommendations and approved the plans.