I don't think that's particularly fair. How well do you know Leicester, Crowsister? Cities change - inevitably, someone's history and someone's heritage is lost, but things do change, and often they must. As long as change in effected sensitively (unlike the situation I described in Leicester in the 60s, for example, and some of the more recent behemoths), the compromises can make people's lives better.

Bowstring Bridge is, IMHO, actually quite ugly. The bit of the city it serves is pretty shabby, albeit lively. If the landlord of the pub sold up, clearly this development was more or less inevitable. Hopefully the facilities that will replace Bowstring Bridge will be of more use to the community than the bridge, and will help to make their lives better. And then, in 60 or 70 years' time, the great-grandkids of the current protesters can protest about the city wanting to tear down the old DMU baths that they remember swimming in when they were kids. :)

I'm glad it's not Bow Bridge, anyway - that's quite pretty and has some nice local folklore attached to it.