While stakeholders pass the blame, questions over when the spaces will be restored for local businesses remain unanswered
18:41, 14 Apr 2026
Lee Circle car park in Leicester. (Image: LDRS)
As 2,000 parking spaces across Leicester city centre lie empty following the collapse of NCP, an almighty blame game has erupted between the organisations involved.
While “stakeholders” pass the buck, questions over when the much-needed parking spaces will be restored for local businesses remain unanswered.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has tracked down the owners of the four closed car parks and sought clarity from key voices.
Transport advocate and councillor Zuffar Haq says the situation is urgent.
He says: “The owners, the police and the council need to sort it out. We can’t have a situation where the car parks are left in a mess.
“I would urge owners of the car parks to find a solution to get them back into use as soon as possible and be realistic about the charges and level of revenue income.
“It is vital these car parks are reopened in order to address safety issues but also equally important is the economic viability of the shops, bars, clubs, and theatres in the city centre, who require these vital spaces for their businesses.”
Cllr Zuffar Haq, of Evington ward (Lib Dem). Image via Leicester City Council. (Image: Leicester City Council)
During a recent police crackdown on an illegal car meet in the former NCP Lee Circle car park, warnings about drugs and anti-social driving were issued.
Leicestershire Police says the city council is “taking the lead” on speaking to the sites about ongoing issues there.
However, Leicester City Council says it is the owners who are responsible for keeping the sites safe and secure and it has “reminded” them of this duty.
Behind the properties lie a range of companies with interests. Although NCP was the leaseholder, the land is technically owned by separate organisations.
NCP said they are in touch with the council, but future use of the site will be “up to the landlord”.
It can be revealed that the owner of the Rutland Centre car park is Cavan Investments Ltd, a Nottingham-based firm which bought the building for £16.7m in December 2018.
Meanwhile, the East Street car park is owned by Eastprop Ltd, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, which acquired the land for nearly £10m in 2019.
Blenheim Leicester Ltd owns the former NCP site on Abbey Street, which came with a price tag of £1.37m in April last year.
A spokesperson for Blenheim Ltd says discussions are underway to install a new operator to run this car park, but argues it is still in the hands of the administrators at this time.
They say: “It’s a very difficult situation that we have been put in by the administration of NCP, which has come out of the blue.
“At the moment, the lease lies with NCP and all responsibilities lie with the administration.
“In the background, we are liaising with the local authority and police to come up with a Plan B, and we are hoping to be able to put another operator in the car park.”
According to the land registry, the owner of the final closed site in Lee Circle is Synergie Portfolio Ltd.
Documents show the site was valued at more than £1m on June 9, 2020, when Synergie took over, but accounts submitted by director Sir Weis show the company has been dormant since July of the same year.
John Ghent, Leicester estate agent. Image via John Ghent. (Image: John Ghent. )
Local property expert John Ghent says the complexity of the situation is typical of Leicester’s market.
He said: “From my personal point of view, it’s a bit of a mystery that it all happened so fast. People that are interested or care about it have been left in the dark.
“I can imagine the local authorities have been blindsided and everybody feels a bit flummoxed.
“There are a few derelict properties around the city owned by random companies that don’t appear to have any link to Leicester at all. They seem to sit on them and do nothing with them.
“The problem with these big corporations is they have got nothing to do with the sites. All they did was own it and let somebody else look after them.
“I wonder if it is going to end up bubbling along. It will just fade into memory if nothing happens.
“It raises the question of who the city centre is for.”
