As for Bentick House and Bruton Way car park block, on the record Cllr James is tactful in his description. “It has not given a very good first impression of the city centre – it was not clear for visitors where they were going to go. But when King's Walk completes its work too, it will all make more sense,” he said, alluding to how well the pieces of the jigsaw should all fit together to the city’s benefit. And ‘yes’, if pushed (and we did have to
council which, devoid of money, voted with its feet and led the way into the near-deserted Docks. Together with the Bruton Way clearance, the two projects neatly bookend the city centre, like the polar opposites of old and modern Gloucester bookend Cllr James’s career in the city’s version of number 10 Downing Street. Removal of Bentick House opens the land for the re- vamp of King’s Square, ongoing investment driving the re-think of King’s Walk and much more. Plans also include 150 new homes and 40,000 sq ft of office space and a re-purposing of King's House - the office space above Chambers – for business use. The council and its partners Reef Group have already been presented with the prestigious MJ Award for Innovation in Property and Asset Management for the King's Walk development, plans in recognition of the bold and ambitious project. “King’s Square has had a number of false starts. The original thoughts was Stanhope would assemble the site,” said Cllr James. The plc was championed as the firm to do just that in 2012 with a £60 million redevelopment, but it was not meant to be. “But I think there was a change in town and city centres, because of shopping habits. It was going to be a retail and flats “And when you have something that is not going to work, you have to make a decision to do something about it,” added Cllr James, looking back at how the progress of the development has been tripped up by the economic climate and changes in retail habits. Involved in the reshaping of King’s Square are George King Architects (GKA) and multi award-winning Michael Grubb Studio, which has worked on the lighting.The latter a project with a reported bill alone of £5 million.
push him to say the words), he will acknowledge a little of his own role in the mammoth projects that have helped re-shape the city. “I do look on it as a legacy. The bus station, King’s Square, certainly Bakers Quay, these are all things I have been involved in. It will be nice to be able to look back at something you had a hand in delivering,” he said, recognising they are works in progress. It is not just the fabric of the city which has changed. “I think the nature of what you can do now has changed. When we started out there was no investor confidence at all. We had to work really hard to get people interested in the city. “I spent a lot of time dealing with enquiries from developers. The challenge is to be able to convert the interest they show into schemes that work and to remove the obstacles as they happen.” He added: “I think people do look at us as a council that has been bold and taken the lead and made things happen, when they might not have happened otherwise. “Local councils generally are playing bigger roles in place-making. We have had to play a bigger role over the years since the demise of the likes of the regeneration company (GHURC) and the regional development agency (SWRDA). “I do still get excited. Although we have come a long way in a decade, there is still a huge amount to complete yet. I know what a fantastic place the city can be if we can make the remaining outstanding projects happen still. “I would like us to be seen as a city which has successfully regenerated with heritage at its heart and successfully evaluated its city centre from being just about shopping to being one that is full of experiences” l
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