About Leicester

The people of Leicester have a powerful vision for their city. Working in one of the strongest partnerships in the country, the combined resources of private, public, voluntary, and community sectors are striving to create the most cohesive city in Britain; a city that celebrates and affirms the diversity of all its people and which cares passionately about the environment in which they live and work.

With a population of over 280,000, Leicester is the largest city in the East Midlands and the tenth largest in the country. It is also the most diverse city in the UK. Our thriving ethnic minority community accounts for more than a third of Leicester's population and continues to enrich city life.

Spend just a little time in our cosmopolitan city and you will soon begin to realise what an energetic, stimulating and enterprising place it is in which to live. Significant resources are being devoted to regenerating the heart of Leicester, creating a vibrant city in which economic growth and well-being go hand-in-hand. The city centre has been transformed into a clean, pedestrian-friendly zone. Work is ongoing to reclaim and reshape the city's water-side areas which complement Leicester’s abundance of green spaces and well-maintained parks.

In recent years, the sporting landscape in Leicester has been transformed with major improvements and re-investment in its local sports and leisure provision. There are now four professional sporting clubs in Leicester and one of the UK’s leading women’s hockey clubs, an exciting range of Cultural festivals including the second biggest Diwali outside India, and a large mix of community based events and facilities. The city has for the past 30 years been using sport and culture to help build cohesive communities and break down barriers. Working with partner organisations, the City has moved beyond providing special projects for disadvantaged groups - providing quality services for all the communities is at the heart of its business. Leicester’s innovative approach has received national recognition with the City awarded ‘Beacon Status’ by government for excellence in the provision of culture and sport services for hard to reach groups. In one year alone Leicester City Council had over 5 million visitors to events and facilities.

The recently opened state of the art Curve Theatre, designed by world renowned architect Rafael Vinoly, builds on the already impressive performing arts facilities in the city. Leicester is also home to the National Space Centre as well as a wide range of museums and cultural centres. Couple this with our two major universities and status as the UK's most culturally diverse city and you have a powerful and attractive mix of creativity, culture, and confidence.

The city boasts excellent shopping as befits a town that is vibrant and progressive. The £350 million Highcross Leicester shopping centre houses all the high street names and designer labels. St Martin's Square and Leicester Lanes are an area of narrow streets, full of stylish clothes, contemporary designs and unique gifts. The cosmopolitan nature of the city provides other shopping experiences. In Belgrave Road, there's the opportunity to buy delicious Asian food, gold jewellery and embroidered saris.

The quality of housing in the city is highly attractive and prices are favourable by comparison with many other cities and regions. The average house price is £144,884. A detached house in Leicester is approximately £253,322, with a semi-detached property at £145,205.

The city is ideally situated for access across the country and abroad. There are eight M1 junctions in the county and links to the M69, M6, M14, and M42 within easy reach. Supporting this is a network of fast-moving feeder roads connected to excellent ring-road systems. By rail, Leicester is just over an hour away from London, with 60 London trains a day to choose from. East Midlands Airport is reached within minutes from the M1 and, with Birmingham International Airport just a little further, travel to all parts of the globe is readily accessible.

For more information about what is happening in the city of Leicester – visit www.oneleicester.co.uk