the potential that regeneration would bring. “I was astonished that everyone was saying it won’t happen in Gloucester. There was a phrase, 'it will never happen here', said Greg. “I am a very positive person and so were Ian and Chris. We knew that, if we could get things right, we could get government funding into Gloucester.” By the time the GHURC was wound up in 2013, it had helped to attract some £700 million of investment into the city. Greg is particularly pleased with the regeneration of the Docks and a critical moment came in the early days when British Waterways agreed to release land
after complicated negotiations also involving, Peel (developer of Gloucester Quays), the government and Parmjit Dhanda. “That was when I knew it was all going to happen,” said Greg. But it was unfortunate that, as regeneration built up steam, the recession hit in 2008. “The recession slowed down regeneration because it was reliant on investment. But Peel was committed to Gloucester and the Quays and continued to invest in difficult times,” he said. Although the Magnificent Seven saw some huge successes, Greg admits there were disappointments as well.
The Gloucester Quays site in 2004 before its re-birth
Cheltenham | London | Thames Valley
July 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com | 51
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