Building work heralds end of successful Southgate scheme

Restoration works have begun on the last 3 buildings in an ambitious scheme to regenerate the Southgate area of Gloucester.

Mariners Hall, 137 Southgate Street and 141 Southgate Street are all undergoing various works as part of the Southgate Street Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI).

Southgate Street THI is a 5 year regeneration programme that has delivered 21 projects involving the restoration, repair and reuse of various sites and buildings in the Southgate area of the city.

At 141 Southgate Street, external repairs and re-instatement of basement steps, front wall and railings are being undertaken. This property is grade II listed, has been vacant for decades, and is on the Council’s ‘at risk’ register. The project is the first phase of a scheme which will see the building transformed in to three flats.

The neighbouring 137 Southgate Street is having a facelift with new lime render, replacing the previous unsuitable concrete render, new windows and repairs to the roof and parapet.

At the Mariners Hall on the corner of Llanthony Rd, stone and brickwork are being cleaned and repaired, and the windows are being overhauled.

The £1.2 million Southgate Street THI was co-funded by the National Lottery Heritage fund (75%) and Gloucester City Council (25%). It began in November 2013 and is due to complete in March 2020.

Cllr Paul James, cabinet member for regeneration and economy at Gloucester City Council said: “Gloucester’s older buildings are part of the rich heritage and fabric of our city and it’s vital that we appreciate and take care of them.

“The restoration and regeneration completed on some of Southgate’s most significant buildings will provide protection for the future and give them a new lease of life.”

The public can now tell Gloucester City Council their opinion on the scheme in an online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PRCM33Q