© Oxford University Press 2014 Series 26, Issue 1, September 2014 1

525GEOACTIVEUrban regeneration in Gloucester, UK

By Rebecca Lewis

A case study about urban regeneration in GloucesterThis case study is an account of recent improvements in

Gloucester in response to a number of economic, social

and environmental issues that were facing the city. It is

typical of many other cities around the UK in this respect.

The unit includes a brief history of the city, followed by a

more detailed look at recent changes that have been made

in order to improve the quality of life of its residents.

This case study covers:

• the need for regeneration

• history of development in Gloucester

• Gloucester Docks redevelopment – retail, leisure,

housing, access, art, special events

• plans for future and continuing development in the city.

Key vocabularyheritage, regeneration, sustainable growth, retail sector, economic downturn, brownfi eld site, spiral of decline

Learning outcomeAt the end of this case study, you will have learned about

urban regeneration and development in a typical city in

the UK.

Relevance to specifi cationsAQA A Unit 2: Human Geography, Section B,

Changing Urban Environments, page 17

http://fi lestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-9030-W-SP-14.PDF

AQA B Unit 1: Managing Places in the 21st Century, the Urban Environment, pages 10–12

http://fi lestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-9035-W-SP-14.PDF

Edexcel A Unit 3: The Human Environment, Topic 2, Settlement Change, 2.2 Changing land use in urban areas, page 33

http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/GCSE%20New%20GCSE/9781446911907_GCSE_Lin_Geog_A_Issue_5.pdf

Edexcel B Unit 2: Dynamic Planet, Section A, Introduction to the Dynamic Planet, Topic 6, Changing Settlements in the UK, page 28

http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/GCSE%20New%20GCSE/9781446911914_GCSE_Lin_Geog_B_Issue_5.pdf

OCR A Unit A731: Contemporary Themes in Geography, Similarities and Differences in Settlements and Population, pages 20–22

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/82576-specifi cation.pdf

OCR B Unit B563: Key Geographical Themes, Topic 2, Theme 2, Population and Settlement, pages 14–15

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/82581-specifi cation.pdf

WJEC A Unit 2: Human Options, Theme 11, Retail and Urban Change, page 20

http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/16128.pdf

WJEC B Unit 2: Development and Problem Solving Geography, Theme 3, Uneven Development and Sustainable Environments, page 20

http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/17213.pdf

CCEA Unit 2: Living in Our World, Theme A, People and Where They Live, pages 16–18; a copy of the specifi cation can be downloaded from:

http://www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/microsites/geography/gcse/index.asp

Cambridge

IGCSE

Theme 1, Population and Settlement, page 12

http://www.cie.org.uk/images/128378-2015-syllabus.pdf

Edexcel

IGCSE

Section B, People and their environments, see page 11

http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocuments/IGCSE%20New%20IGCSE/IGCSE2009_Geography_(4GE0)_Specifi cation.pdf

© Oxford University Press 2014 Series 26, Issue 1, September 2014 2

GEOACTIVE ● 525

Urban regeneration in Gloucester, UKGloucester is located in the county

of Gloucestershire in southwest

England and is built close to the

River Severn (Figure 1). It was

founded in AD97 by the Romans

who established the settlement as a

strategic crossing point over the

river, giving access to Wales.

Gloucester is arguably most famous

for its Cathedral (where fi lming for

three of the Harry Potter fi lms took

place) and its rugby club at

Kingsholm. The city has around 700

listed buildings which have special

architectural or historic interest –

13% are Grade I and II (UK average

is 6%). The city is level and compact

and therefore easily covered on foot;

much of the city is within 15

minutes’ walk of the centre. The

2011 census registered the

population at 121 700 and this is

projected to increase by more than

20% by 2035.

Urban regeneration – why is there a need?Urban regeneration simply means

the improvement of the built

environment. In Gloucester’s case,

the regeneration was planned by an

Urban Regeneration Company

(URC) which is an organisation that

unites private and public sector

partners to invest money in areas in

need of revitalisation. An initial

study by the Gloucester Heritage

Urban Regeneration Company

(GHURC) found there were a

number of issues facing the city,

which would be addressed by

regeneration. The key economic,

social and environmental issues are

summarised in Figure 2. Overall,

nine objectives were identifi ed by

the GHURC. Three of these are

examined in more detail here:

● to protect the city’s most valuable

assets

● to deliver sustainable economic

growth

● to make Gloucester a great place

to live and work.

There are many aspects to the

regeneration of any urban area and

Gloucester is no different. However,

retail is a major part of the plan, as

reviving shops and services can lead

to wider improvements for the local

community. The traditional heart

of retail in Gloucester is the area

fanning out from The Cross (where

the Roman roads of Eastgate,

Westgate, Northgate and Southgate

meet – see Figure 3). This area is

experiencing diffi culties resulting

from falling visitor numbers, which

is a problem common to many

British high streets. The construction Figure 1 Location of Gloucester

A River Severn fl oodplain occupies a large proportion of the city

B Lower than county average household income

C Highest unemployment rate in the county

D Poor retail provision

E Second highest crime rate in southwest England

F Contaminated land

G Homelessness

H Built heritage needing protection

I Pockets of acute deprivation

J Poorer than average health of residents

K Lowest educational achievement in the county

L Traffi c congestion

M Shortage of public open space

Figure 2 Issues facing GloucesterSource: ‘GHURC Area Regeneration Framework

Baseline Study – Final Report’

© Oxford University Press 2014 Series 26, Issue 1, September 2014 3

Urban regeneration in Gloucester, UK ● 525GEOACTIVE

of Gloucester’s ring road and the

pedestrianisation of the city centre

meant all vehicular traffi c bypassed

the area and The Cross was no

longer the main intersection at the

heart of the city. More recently,

changing shopping habits and the

recent economic downturn have

further contributed to falling visitor

numbers, resulting in the closure of

shops and services. The ward of

Westgate is amongst the 10% of

most deprived wards in the UK, and

12–15% of its shops are vacant.

What has been done since 2005?The GHURC was set up in 2005 and

wound up in 2013. Over the eight

years it raised more than £600

million; in addition, more than

1000 new jobs were created, along

with 700 new homes. The GHURC

originally highlighted seven sites

that would benefi t from

regeneration and help stimulate the

city’s economy, the so-called

‘Magnifi cent Seven’: The King’s

Quarter, Blackfriars, Gloucester

Docks, Gloucester Quays, Canal

Corridor, Greyfriars and the

Railway Triangle. Each of these is a

brownfi eld site – that is, one that

has previously been built on. This

unit will focus primarily on the

redevelopment of the Gloucester

Docks and Quays.

Brief history of the Gloucester DocksGloucester was granted port status

by Queen Elizabeth I in 1580,

making it the most inland port in the

country. Gloucester and Sharpness

canal links Gloucester to the Severn

estuary, allowing foreign imports

arriving at the coast to be brought

right into Gloucester, and from here

goods were carried to the growing

industrial towns in the Midlands via

inland canals. The boom era was

during the 1800s when the docks

handled cargo such as corn, salt and

timber, and the imposing

warehouses were in constant use

during this time. Gloucester became

the commercial and trading centre of

the region. However, as the 19th

century progressed, goods were

increasingly sent directly to their

fi nal destination, so use of the

warehouses declined. By the latter

half of the 20th century, and in the

face of competition from road

transport (particularly with the

construction of the M5), traffi c

through Gloucester Docks had

dwindled signifi cantly and the city

lost its central role in the region to

Cheltenham.

Regeneration of the Gloucester DocksThe Gloucester Docks were

recognised as having considerable

potential for redevelopment.

Indeed, it was hoped that by

enhancing the historic waterfront

environment, this would be a

catalyst for the regeneration of the

city as a whole. The following

section explores four key aspects of

this regeneration project.

Retail and leisure – the

Gloucester Quays

Gloucester was found to be

underperforming as a retail centre.

The Gloucester Quays was created

as part of the scheme to bring the

docks area back to life. This major

development secured £400 million

of funding and is for mixed use,

providing retail, leisure and

residential facilities. The Gloucester

Quays is primarily a ‘designer

outlet’ and was opened by the

television presenter and fashion

consultant Gok Wan in May 2009.

High-end brands such as Osprey

London, Calvin Klein and L.K.

Bennett are to be found alongside

familiar high street chains like Next,

Marks & Spencer and Gap. There

are also plenty of cafés, restaurants

and a ten-screen cinema. Visitors to

Gloucester include a signifi cant

number from the affl uent areas of

Cheltenham and the Cotswolds –

many of whom come primarily to

see the historic buildings, including

the Cathedral. These visitors have

considerable spending power, so it

was hoped the Gloucester Quays

development could take advantage

of this to help stimulate the local

economy.

Figure 3 The Cross and the Gloucester Docks

© Oxford University Press 2014 Series 26, Issue 1, September 2014 4

Urban regeneration in Gloucester, UK ● 525GEOACTIVE

Housing

Building a community at the docks

was important as residents breathe

life into the area in the evenings

when day trippers have returned

home, and also in the long term.

Former warehouses were converted

into modern apartments and new

residences were built in sympathy

with the traditional docks, emulating

the warehouse style (Figure 4).

Many fl ats boast waterside views,

open-plan living and many original

warehouse features.

Access and public art

Key to the success of Gloucester’s

regeneration was stimulating

movement of visitors between the

docks area and the historic heart of

the city. In order to do this the

GHURC altered vehicle traffi c fl ow

and built the Kimbrose Steps to

improve pedestrian access. The easier

pedestrian fl ow between Gloucester

Docks and The Cross will, it is hoped,

increase footfall in both locations.

Another element of regeneration

was installing street art, such as The

Candle sculpture (Figure 5), to draw

people down to the docks on foot.

This piece was designed by Wolfgang

Buttress and features lines from the

poem ‘Requiem’ by the Gloucester

poet and composer, Ivor Gurney,

which are engraved around the base.

This enhances the local culture and

heritage and invokes a unique sense

of place. Also, in encouraging

pedestrian movement between the

two main retail areas, it plays a part

in creating an integrated city centre.

Other attractions and special events

Gloucester Docks are also home to

Gloucester Waterways Museum,

Soldiers of Gloucester Museum, the

Gloucester Brewery and the

Gloucester Antiques Centre. These

provide further leisure

opportunities beyond retail, along

with several special events

scheduled throughout the year. The

Fireworks Festival is an autumn

attraction, while the Victorian

Christmas Market has been a festive

success. In the summer months, the

Docks host The Tall Ships Festival

and the Gloucester Quays Food

Festival. These are free events

which nonetheless encourage

visitors to spend money on food,

drink, entertainment and, ideally,

accommodation. The Food Festival

offers celebrity chef demonstrations

(Mary Berry and James Martin

have attended past events) for

those who wish to purchase tickets,

creating further publicity and

boosting visitor numbers.

Future regeneration in GloucesterSince the closure of the GHURC,

the task of overseeing regeneration

has been taken on by the newly

formed Gloucester Regeneration

Advisory Board (GRAB, part of

Gloucester City Council) which

most recently has been involved in

two further project areas:

● King’s Square When the GHURC

was set up, the ‘Magnifi cent

Seven’ sites were the focus of

redevelopment. However, at that

time no one could foresee the

global economic crisis that struck

in 2008 and which continues to be

felt today. The downturn means

that not all the planned

improvements were realised in the

lifetime of the GHURC. Despite

this the King’s Quarter – including

the beleaguered King’s Square –

will have £60 million of

investment and it is hoped that

500 jobs will be created. The

Square itself is seen as a blight on

Gloucester’s landscape, as its 1970s

design has looked dilapidated for

some time. Demolition of the

‘Golden Egg’ building, which had

been vacant for a decade, began in

January 2014.

Figure 4 Gloucester DocksSource: Photo by Rebecca Lewis

Figure 5 The Candle and Kimbrose StepsSource: Photo by Rebecca Lewis

© Oxford University Press 2014 Series 26, Issue 1, September 2014 5

Urban regeneration in Gloucester, UK ● 525GEOACTIVE

● Portas Review In May 2013

Gloucester was awarded funding

of £133 000 to be involved in the

Portas Review. Mary Portas

(dubbed the ‘Queen of Shops’)

was brought in by the

government to try and help

ailing high streets. It remains to

be seen how the money is spent

but it is hoped that this fi nancial

injection will go towards

encouraging people into the city

centre, both during the day and

at night, to spend money there.

Beyond regeneration projectsImproving the prospects for a city

such as Gloucester does not fall

solely to regeneration schemes.

Major one-off events can play a

part in improving an area’s

fortunes. It was a cause for

celebration, then, when

Gloucester’s Kingsholm stadium

was chosen to host four of the

Rugby World Cup fi xtures in 2015.

This will draw a large volume of

visitors (and their spending

money!), which will further boost

the local economy.

Further good news came in January

2014 when it was announced that

Gloucester Cathedral would be

bidding for UNESCO World

Heritage Status, to be awarded – it

is hoped – in 2019. Such an award

would increase visitor numbers and

assist in the city’s regeneration.

ConclusionThe regeneration of Gloucester is

ongoing. In the past it has suffered

various setbacks and

disappointments but much has

changed in the city for the better.

There are many aspects of

regeneration, but retail plays a key

role in addressing social, economic

and environmental issues in many

of the UK’s towns and cities.

Reviving the traditional high street

and the docks area in Gloucester

remains a signifi cant challenge.

Activities

1 Use Figure 1 to describe the location of Gloucester.

2 The GHURC is the only urban regeneration company in the UK to include the letter ‘H’ for Heritage. Explain why this word was included in the case of Gloucester.

3 Why do you think British high streets are suffering a decline in the number of visitors in recent years? Think about shopping behaviour, access to city centres and the economic climate, for example.

4 Look at Figure 2 which shows issues facing Gloucester, A–M. Draw up a table with the headings ‘Economic’, ‘Social’ and ‘Environmental’ (including the built environment) and sort the issues into these categories. (Note that some issues may be included under more than one heading.)

5 The Gloucester Docks was a brownfi eld site.

a Explain what this means.

b Suggest the advantages of using such a site for development.

6 Figure 6 shows data from the 2011 census relating to population structure.

a Copy and complete the table with the missing values for percentage males and females. Write your answer to one decimal place.

b Draw a pie chart showing the percentage of Gloucester’s population in the three categories: 0–19, 20–64 and 65+ years. Round each of your totals for the three categories to

the nearest whole number. Remember to include a key and a title on your diagram.

c Why might the relatively high proportions of young people (14 years and under) and those of working age (15–64 years) be a positive factor for the city’s regeneration?

Figure 6 Gloucester’s population structureSource: Offi ce for National Statistics, Census 2011

Age Males Females

Total % Total %

90+ 200 0.1 600 0.585–89 600 0.5 1100 0.980–84 1100 0.9 1600 1.375–79 1500 1.2 1900 1.670–74 2000 1.6 2100 1.765–69 2500 2.1 2800 2.360–64 3200 2.6 3400 2.855–59 3300 2.7 3300 2.750–54 4000 3.3 4000 3.345–49 4500 3.7 4600 3.840–44 4700 3.9 4600 3.835–39 4200 3.5 4000 3.330–34 4100 3.4 4100 3.425–29 4300 3.5 4400 3.620–24 4100 3.4 4300 3.515–19 4200 3.5 3800 3.110–14 3800 3500 5–9 3600 3500 0–4 4200 4100

Total population: 121 700

© Oxford University Press 2014 Series 26, Issue 1, September 2014 6

Urban regeneration in Gloucester, UK ● 525GEOACTIVE

7 Figure 7 shows an outline of a spiral of decline: a chain of events that reinforces itself to give a negative outcome. Complete a virtuous circle – a chain of events resulting in a positive outcome – that results from regeneration investment. The fi rst box should read ‘New shops and restaurants open’.

8 Imagine you work for the tourist board and you are in charge of attracting visitors to Gloucester. Design a poster or web page that you think will draw people to the city.

9 The following is a list of ways in which the city centre of Gloucester could be improved:

• Hanging baskets on lamp-posts

• More street benches

• Improved street lighting

• Greater CCTV coverage

• More public toilets

• More frequent litter collections

• Building an ice rink

• Incentives to encourage late night shopping.

Working in pairs or small groups, imagine that you are the team responsible for improving Gloucester’s city centre. Discuss how each of these ideas would enhance the area. Then rank them in order, starting with the one you think will be most effective. Justify your ranking. How did your order compare with that of other groups?

Figure 7 A spiral of decline

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Checkpoint

Glossary task

Write glossary defi nitions for these terms:

Brownfi eld site

Economic downturn

Heritage

Regeneration

Retail sector

Spiral of decline

Sustainable growth

Remember this case study

To help you remember this case study, make notes un-der the following headings:

Why urban generation is needed in cities

Case study: four aspects of regeneration in Gloucester

Plans for the future

Try to make your notes fi t a single sheet of A4.

• Regeneration in older cities is needed to improve the quality of life of people living there.

• Various aspects are involved in such redevelop-ment, e.g. retail, leisure, housing, access, art, special e vents.

• Continuing development must be part of the overall plan.