Phase Two of Gloucester’s £107m digital quarter wins planning approval

Gloucester City Council’s planning committee voted on 6 April to approve the second phase of the scheme to transform the Kings Quarter area of the city centre into a mixed-use, future-ready digital campus.

Phase Two will see the creation of more than 125,000 sq ft of office space, with a shared workspace club and an innovation hub designed for cyber and incubator businesses. The office space will sit alongside a 131-bedroom four-star hotel, a 9,000 sq ft gym, restaurants and bars.

Jon McGinty, Managing Director of Gloucester City Council, said: “With Phase Two approved, we can now be certain that this ambitious scheme will be delivered, revitalising a central, but formerly tired, area of the city centre. Together with a rejuvenated Kings Square, The Forum will be a drawcard for the city, attracting new and significant investment to the city, enhancing Gloucester’s reputation as an exciting and progressive place to be.”

Esther Croft, Development Director at Reef Group, said: “Securing planning approval for Phase Two of The Forum is a hugely important milestone, not just for the project team and our partners, but for Gloucester. We have cleared the last significant hurdle for bringing forward this transformational scheme, paving the way for a new era for Gloucester as a future-ready and resilient place to live, work and visit.”

Phase One of The Forum secured planning consent in January 2021 for the creation of 43 apartments with views to the cathedral, and retail space set to be occupied by Tesco. Work on the first phase is expected to start in late spring.

Phases One and Two are part of the 600,000 sq ft masterplan for The Forum, which aims to build on Gloucester’s history of innovation. The Forum will see the regeneration of the area previously called Kings Quarter, providing a digital campus within the heart of Gloucester City Centre. For more information, visit: www.forumdigital.co.uk.