Hopes £1.5m cash boost could revive stalled scheme

A long-awaited waterfront redevelopment featuring restored historic buildings is moving closer to construction as officials seek extra funding.

Gloucester City Council agreed on 13 May to pursue £1.5m of Homes England funding to help revive the regeneration of Baker's Quay in Gloucester Docks.

Plans include a 10 storey tower block, 117 flats, and the restoration and extension of the 19th-century Downing's Malthouse and the High Orchard Street Warehouse.

Planning permission was approved three years ago, but council leader Jeremy Hilton said rising costs had made the regeneration project increasingly difficult.

Hilton said the additional funding would enable construction by Rokeby Merchant Developments Ltd to begin whilst protecting the listed buildings.

He stressed the money would come from the government rather than council funds, with the authority overseeing how it was distributed and spent.

Phase one of the project was previously supported by about £4.8m of funding from the then Homes and Communities Agency in March 2016.

This included the hotel, restaurant and drive-thru, and the Provender residential and associated commercial aspects.

The council also contributed a regeneration loan of £490,000 to plug a cash flow gap, but the later phases were less viable and developers asked for £600,000 in further support.

In 2024, council chiefs waived the requirement of £430,000 in developer contributions to help to scheme progress but it remained incomplete.

The latest bid for funding is intended to support phase two of the project, including the residential conversion of the Malthouse extension, commercial use of the transit shed, and a mix of homes and business space within Downing's Malthouse.

"This is what will help the finances stack together so the development can go ahead," Hilton said during the cabinet meeting at North Warehouse.

"This will be the final phase in the Gloucester Quays/Gloucester Docks development and regeneration which was started back in the 1980s.

"That's really important. That is a part of the Quays that has taken a long, long time to get to."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, deputy leader Declan Wilson said it was "uplifting" to see the project still at the forefront.

"It's absolutely fabulous we are going to keep these things going and keep the momentum going," he said.

"That's really one of the reasons why we are all here. Things are happening.

"There's the usual doom and gloom but at the same time we've got some positive developments here as well which I think we should all celebrate."

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