The government says Thurnby Lodge has ‘too often fallen through the cracks of national interventions’
14:21, 17 Mar 2026
Colin said the area has been ‘forgotten’ for years(Image: Leicester Mercury)
Improvements to green spaces, facelifts for shops and investment in a derelict youth centre are on the wishlist for the residents of one “forgotten” Leicester estate.
Thurnby Lodge is one of the three Leicester areas chosen for the government’s Pride in Place Programme. The scheme will see £20 million invested in each of Braunstone West, Thurnby Lodge and Eyres Monsell over the next decade.
The government says all three areas have “too often fallen through the cracks of national interventions” and are therefore in need of funding.
Thurnby Lodge is one of the three selected areas(Image: Leicester Mercury)
Officials say these groups, combined with MPs, councils, businesses and community organisations, will then help produce a clear vision for their area, with the neighbourhoods themselves set to decide how to prioritise the £20 million funding.
LeicestershireLive has spoken to people living in Thurnby Lodge about how they believe the money would be best spent in their area.
After speaking to many residents, the most common suggestions made were improvements needed for the local youth centre as well as shops in Thurncourt Road and Willowbrook Park.
Stores closed down in Thurncourt Road(Image: Leicester Mercury)
One of the people we talked to on the day was Colin Massey. He said: “I’ve been living on this estate all my life and I’ve seen it go downhill.
“We’re the forgotten estate here and we’ve been called that for years. I think the government have got it spot on because we always do seem to miss out on funding and improvements.
“We’ve seen lots of areas in Leicester get plenty of work done to them, so it’s about time we got some money too.”
For Colin, in order for the £20 million funding to make a visible change, he believes it would be best spent on improving the shopping area in Thurncourt Road, which includes the Co-op supermarket.
He said: “I think in order to see the money actually making a difference it needs to be spent on the shops because everyone in the area uses them, so it would be a noticeable change.
“I do think some of it should also be spent on the roads too. There are potholes everywhere and our roads need resurfacing. Plus we could do with some more parking up near the shops in Thurncourt Road as you never find any space to park.”
The state of Thurncourt Road(Image: Leicester Mercury)
Another issue highlighted by the 65-year-old was the lack of services for younger generations, which in turn can lead to youths loitering.
He said: “I used to play in our community centre when I was a kid in the 70s but it’s sad to see that nobody uses it now and it’s gone derelict. That would be a great place to dedicate some of the funding because young people need a place they can safely spend time in.
“At the moment they have nothing to do around here so they mess about in the park, which could do with some lighting because it can get a bit dodgy around there.”
A local mum, who did not want to be named, shared similar suggestions as Colin, regarding Thurnby Lodge needing more services for young people.
She said: “The park needs work. The youths go there and mess about and you can’t blame them because they have nowhere else to go.
“For me, the shops are the least of my worries. It’s the park and the youths that need the money. There is nothing about for them to do so they get left loitering around the area.
“I was born here and in my 30 years of life, I’ve always felt like we get left behind from funding. Despite the government saying we will receive £20 million, I still don’t have high hopes for it.
“I fear that the funds will be misplaced despite the fact that the decision will be made by a community board as funding for improvements never gets put to good use around here.”
Aj, a 25-year-old, said: “I have noticed the council are trying to do a bit more, so I would disagree with the government because the area does get maintained.
“I think we need more security in the area. You see a lot of teenagers around here messing about and doing things they shouldn’t, so more police patrols would be great, maybe some new lights for the park too.”
Aj believes some of the funding would be well spent on hosting events in the area for the community to attend.
He said: “I went to university in Nottingham and the difference between here and there is immense. In Leicester, I feel like we don’t get our money’s worth from the council but in Nottingham there are always events to go to and things going on, which keeps young people more occupied.
“We need more events here as well as community centres, so for me that’s where some of the money should go.”
Cheryl Mayo said: “I’m excited for it. I saw it through one of LeicestershireLive’s articles and I did think to myself, finally some money for us too.
“I think we need a general clean-up in the area and we need to stop cars from being able to park on the grass verges because it’s making our roads dirtier.
Cheryl said cars should not be able to park on grass verges(Image: Leicester Mercury)
“At the end of the day something is better than nothing, so let’s see how this funding scheme goes.”
This is the first article of a three-part series in which we will be visiting all of the selected areas in Leicester for the government’s Pride in Place Programme. Next up, we will be visiting Braunstone West to see what people want from their £20 million funding.
