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The Forum: Gloucester's £107m 'cyber hub' approved

Reef Group How The Forum and Kings Quarter could look in GloucesterReef Group
Construction on The Forum is set to begin in late spring

Planning permission has been granted for the next stage of a £107m development in Gloucester centre.

The Forum will contain a business hub, hotel, gym, restaurants, shops, bars, a multi-storey car park and apartments in the Kings Quarter of the city.

Gloucester City Council has granted planning consent to Reef Group for phase two of the "digital campus".

Jon McGinty, the council's managing director, said the plans would "rejuvenate" the area.

Reef Group How The Forum and Kings Quarter could look in GloucesterReef Group
An artist's impression shows how the development would look alongside Gloucester Cathedral in the city's skyline

"We can now be certain that this ambitious scheme will be delivered, revitalising a central, but formerly tired, area of the city centre," Mr McGinty added.

"The Forum will be a drawcard for the city, attracting new and significant investment to the city, enhancing Gloucester's reputation as an exciting and progressive place to be."

The budget for the development was agreed in January, when the council approved the first phase of the plans, which included 43 apartments and retail space set to be occupied by Tesco. Work on the first phase is expected to start in late spring.

The authority has subsequently approved phase two, which includes offices, an innovation hub aimed at attracting cyber businesses to the city and a four star hotel with 131 bedrooms.

Reef Group How The Forum and Kings Quarter could look in GloucesterReef Group
Shops, bars and restaurants are set to be built alongside a business hub

Esther Croft, development director of developers Reef Group, said: "We have cleared the last significant hurdle for bringing forward this transformational scheme, paving the way for a new era for Gloucester as a future-ready and resilient place to live, work and visit."

The development will be built on land formerly occupied by a bus station. A multi-storey park and Bentinck House which also stood on the site have been demolished and the remaining building, Grosvenor House, will also be destroyed.

Gloucester City Council previously said the Kings Quarter revamp would provide an "impressive gateway" into the city centre and create "very significant employment opportunities".

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