I'm still in shock. Just found out yesterday that Loughborough's Carillon Court—my teenage hangout spot where I had my first kiss behind the record shop in '97—is on the chopping block. The council's seriously considering bulldozing the whole damn thing. A SHOPPING CENTRE THAT'S BEEN THERE SINCE 1971!
Let me catch my breath for a sec.
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When Shopping Malls Were Actually Cool
Back in teh day, Carillon Court was THE place to be. My mum would drop me and my mates off on Saturday mornings with a tenner, and we'd spend hours wandering between shops, trying on clothes we couldn't afford, and generally being nuisances. The flower stall outside always reminded me of my gran—she'd buy these ridiculous yellow carnations every Friday without fail.
Sure, the place has seen better days. I walked through last month and counted seven empty units. Bit depressing really. The once-bustling corridors now echo with the ghosts of shoppers past (and the occasional pigeon that somehow gets trapped inside).
Students Win, Locals Lose... Again
Leicester Commercial Ltd has submitted plans to Charnwood Borough Council to flatten the entire complex. And what are they replacing it with? Student accommodation. Of course they are.
Listen. I've got nothing against students. My daughter's at uni now, costing me £9K a year in tuition alone. But does every available space in this town need to be converted into student flats? It's like watching your childhood home being turned into a Holiday Inn.
What the actual hell happens to the car park?
If this goes ahead, we lose the only multi-storey car park in town. Where exactly are people supposed to park? I spent 45 minutes circling for a space last Christmas Eve, and that was WITH the car park open!
One local I spoke to yesterday (Dave from the hardware shop—been there since '89) said it's "totally crazy" and will have a "dramatically negative impact" on businesses already struggling to stay afloat. Poor Dave. His face when talking about it looked like someone had told him his dog died.
Another called it a "disgrace" that would "completely destroy the town centre." Strong words, but I'm inclined to agree.
The Café Guy Might Actually Have a Point
Iain Lister, who runs Café–Ambience (where I've spent approximately £4K on lattes over the years), raised some serious concerns about safety. His emergency exit is literally underneath the car park ramp they want to demolish. His response when I asked about it: "They haven't even bothered to consult us properly. Already updating my resume."
He also mentioned problems with deliveries if construction goes ahead. But the safety issue seems like a pretty major oversight, doesn't it?
Barbers, Nail Bars, and Nowhere to Actually Shop
One particularly angry resident (who I'm pretty sure is Mr. Patterson from my old school—he always was a bit shouty) complained about the current state of the high street. Too many "barbers, nail bars, charity shops, bookmakers, coffee shops and fast food outlets."
He's not wrong. I counted 7 barbers within 200 meters last time I walked through town. Who needs that many haircuts?
"There is nothing for the locals, who now have to travel to Leicester or Nottingham to find decent shops," he added. And if they demolish our only shopping centre? Game over.
Timing is Everything
If approved, the demolition would happen between May 18 adn October 31 this year. That's our entire summer listening to drilling and watching our town's history crumble into dust. Lovely.
The council says they'll make their decision around May 9-10. I feel queasy just thinking about it.
Anyone who wants to object has until April 8. I've already sent mine in—three pages of probably incoherent ranting that I wrote at 2am after a couple glasses of wine. God. I feel stupid now reading it back, but at least I tried.
I've lived here my whole life, and watching bits of it disappear one by one is like losing old friends. First the cinema, then the bowling alley, now this.
What's next?
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