Gloucester

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Supporting our city centre

Gloucester city centre, like almost every high street in the country, has suffered during the recession. But we haven’t been hit as hard as many other places – and we’re confident about the future. Parking charges have been cut from the start of April and we are making a £2 million investment fund available to make improvements to the city centre environment and support traders. We are now closer than ever before to delivering the Kings Quarter redevelopment scheme around Kings Square and the bus station, with the Council’s development partners Stanhope plc.

Kings Quarter plans “making good progress”

Plans to regenerate Kings Square and the Bus Station are making good progress, according to the City Council’s Leader.

The Council has appointed Stanhope plc as its development partner for the scheme.  Stanhope has been working in the background to secure retail tenants and, despite the challenging conditions on the High Street, is making solid progress.  The Council and Stanhope are also negotiating the details of the “Development Agreement”, which sets out the legal relationship between the two parties.  This is due to be approved by the Council in the summer.

Public consultation on the proposals will begin in earnest after the local elections, with a special event for young people already planned for June.  Thereafter a planning application is due to be submitted towards the end of the year.

City Council Leader Paul James said, “Kings Quarter is our number one regeneration priority and will help to transform perceptions of the city and catapult Gloucester up the retail rankings.  Some people will be wondering what is happening and I want to reassure them that a lot of work is going on behind the scenes and we are making good progress.  This is a difficult and complex scheme to deliver and will take time, but our determination is absolute and we are closer to achieving it than ever before.”