GLOUCESTER RENAISSANCE
protecting and promoting our heritage than we did in the 1960s and 70s, when we lost so much of it. “The restoration of lots of historic buildings and others brought back into use, whether it is the Docks warehouses, restoration of St Mary de Crypt Church, St Michael’s Tower or Blackfriars Priory. All of these buildings have been brought back into use and given a new purpose and new life." Cllr James said some of the visitors at Gloucester’s recent Tall Ships Festival had not been to the city for 30 years and were impressed by the progress that had been made. It was sometimes difficult to remember what derelict areas of the city like Gloucester Quays were like before development had taken place. “We all know the city went through a tough time. After the splurge of development in the 1960s and 70s, not a lot happened for a long time. We ended up with sites that were derelict and unattractive.”
An example was historic Llanthony Priory, which had become derelict and home to a skip company.With the help of a Heritage Lottery Grant, the formerAugustinian Priory has been restored to its former glory and is now a valued community space. When developers Stanhope withdrew from the King’s Quarter development, the city council stepped in took the lead and the new state of the art bus station was delivered with the support of government funding provided though GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership. Cllr James singled out the city council’s major projects consultant Philip Ardley for his commitment to completion of the bus station scheme. Cllr James said: “It is important to recognise that regeneration is not just about buildings and physical changes, it has got to be about activity and animating spaces and making sure that regeneration delivers benefits for people throughout the city” l
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64 | July 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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