Leicester City Council’s New Walk Centre is to be demolished.

Walking through the still in use building, or more correctly buildings, Block A and Block B, one finds tape on the floor indicating sections not to be walked on or have any furniture placed within the taped out space.

The building is terminally fatigued.

There are many many suggestions for what should replace the buildings. Smart shops and cafés. Landmark towers, Leicester’s own Shard. A contemporary art gallery akin to that in Nottingham, perhaps something a place aspiring to be ‘City of Culture’ should have.

After working closely with artist activist, Anne-Marie Culhane, on her ongoing Fruit Routes work across Loughborough University campus, my thoughts on space and how it might be used creatively in a city centre have evolved.

I propose that the Leicester City Council New Walk Centre be demolished and replaced with a large community orchard. The roads and paths from the orchard into and out from the city centre, including the historic New Walk itself, will be planted with fruit trees too.

Just as Anne-Marie Culhane proposes that Loughborough University becomes the world’s first edible campus, I propose that Leicester should become the world’s first edible city and that Anne-Marie be invited to work with myself and the City to help make this happen.

LEICESTER THE WORLD’S FIRST EDIBLE CITY

Paul Conneally
November 2013