Plans to turn bar into student flats submitted

A bar in Leicester could be replaced by student accommodation after a planning application was submitted to the city council.

Ronnie Roos on Millstone Lane opened in 2018 on the site of the former Boot Room restaurant.

The bar shut its doors to customers in May, according to the local Campaign for Real Ale website.

Planning documents submitted to Leicester City Council said the venue would not be reopening, stating its use as a bar is "unsuitable" given the residences around it.

The building in which the watering hole was based was largely converted into flats during the pandemic, but the bar itself remained opened to customers in the ground floor, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Applicant Bosworth Properties Ltd said its closure was partly due to "falling numbers" of customers, and partly because of "noise issues" for the students living there.

The developer is seeking permission to create 13 new flats in addition to the student residences it already contains, and a roof extension is also proposed above the former bar area to create "additional" living space.

A public consultation on the scheme is set to run until 16 January, while the city council has set itself a target decision date of 27 February.

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.