Sitting on high ground to the southeast of Leicester city centre, Highfields is one of the elevated inner-city areas of Leicester, England. The Midland Main Line forms its western boundary, while London Road (the A6) runs along the south and East Park Road marks its eastern edge. To the north lies Spinney Hills, though the boundary between the two areas is not sharply defined, and Spinney Hills – which extends northwards to Humberstone Road – is frequently considered part of Highfields. The area falls within the Spinney Hills, Wycliffe, and Stoneygate wards of Leicester City Council.
Conservation Area and Street Character
A section of Highfields running between London Road, Evington Road, and St Peter’s Road was designated the South Highfields Conservation Area in April 1981. It originally covered approximately 22.20 hectares, though a boundary review in 2003 reduced this to around 20.55 hectares. The proximity of London Road and Evington Road means residents have a large number of amenities close at hand, including the railway station, mosques, churches, temples, a modern health centre, nurseries, schools, local shops, restaurants, community centres, banks, and a public library on Melbourne Road. One of the area’s larger mosques includes a leisure centre within its grounds.
Community Institutions
Highfields has a well-established network of community organisations. The African Caribbean Centre and Leicester Community Radio (broadcasting on 94.1 FM and 1449 AM) are both based in the area, with the radio station operating from St Peter’s Church and dedicating a significant portion of its programming to the Afro-Caribbean community. The Highfields Association of Residents and Tenants (HART) holds regular meetings to organise and represent local residents. The Highfields Youth and Community Centre, which opened in 1974, was modernised in 2004 and provides social, recreational, and lifelong learning services. Following local government budget cuts in 2010, Leicester City Council transferred management of the centre to the Highfields Community Association (HCA) with an initial grant of £293,000 per year. In July 2015, the elected Mayor of Leicester, Peter Soulsby, signed an agreement to end funding to HCA from March 2016, a decision that prompted ongoing disagreement between HCA and the council.