The Shires is a popular stop off for shoppers in Leicester

The Unitarian Chapel on East Bond Street, the oldest brick building in the city, is a Grade 2 listed building.

Reverend Arthur Stuart says multi-million pound plans for the Shires will see his 1708 chapel overshadowed by six-storey buildings.

"We are going to lose our light, access and passenger traffic," he said.

Huge investment

"The area will get polluted with litter and bus fumes when they turn a part of a lane near the chapel into a bus drop-off zone."

The area around the chapel will be changed radically when the extension is built, he said.

Shires development director John Emery said he would be prepared to meet with church leaders to discuss the changes.

"We hope the new architecture that we are proposing will improve the area - with residential units reintroduced into the area," he said.

He said the huge investment of hundreds of millions of pounds will help regenerate the city.

The final details for the project are still being discussed with property owners and residents.