New hope for Leicester's former Black Boy pub

Because I don't spend so much time wandering the back streets of Leicester these days, I was surprised to learn that the former Black Boy pub is still standing, but the Leicester Mercury reports that it may yet be saved.

Under plans approved by the city council two years ago, the Mercury reminds us:

Just the facades of the former public house as it looks into Albion Street and Chatham Street were to be retained and a new five-storey building built behind these.

Now, says the paper:

That proposal now appears to have been abandoned, however, and a new project has been put forward for the site. This latest plan would instead see the Black Boy "preserved" and "restored", maintaining its "strong presence" on the street corner, planning documents state. 

It also reports that planning documents say the scheme was discussed with the city council and the civic society before it was formally submitted, and positive feedback was received from both bodies.