Gloucester City Council is moving ahead with plans to regenerate a part of the city centre long seen as underused and affected by anti-social behaviour. The proposals focus on the area around Eastgate Shopping Centre, which has experienced repeated incidents of shopping trolleys being thrown from its roof towards nearby residential buildings and public spaces.
A planning application submitted earlier this summer outlines a transformation of the market space within Eastgate. The scheme includes relocating Gloucester Market to a modern food hall and instigating significant external landscaping improvements. Key changes will involve creating new pedestrian access points, replacing glazing, refurbishing the Pavilion space to accommodate new uses, and improving the public realm around Addison’s Folly.
The application acknowledges the challenges faced by this part of Gloucester, describing it as marked by a declining Market Hall, limited commercial activity, and problems linked to anti-social behaviour. To bolster safety, the council proposes installing a 1.5-metre high non-climb safety fence along the edge of the shopping centre roof. This measure aims to reduce risks to residents and visitors to the proposed pavilion, café, and events space.
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Recent site visits have visibly confirmed the issues, with a shopping trolley spotted upside down on the shopping centre roof and another damaged on the grass below. Gloucester, ranked among the top 20 most violent places in the UK by crime rates earlier this year, has neighbourhoods such as The Cross nearby where crime remains a concern. These factors underscore the pressing need for regeneration.
The plans form part of a broader initiative to revitalise the Greyfriars Quarter, supporting Gloucester City Centre’s cultural and economic growth. They strive to breathe new life into vacant and underused areas within Eastgate Shopping Centre, diversify retail and food options, and improve connections to Greyfriars Green and the Museum of Gloucester. The redevelopment also aims to boost visitor numbers and encourage people to spend more time in the area.
Public consultation on the proposals has recently closed. Support from local residents has been expressed in submitted feedback. One resident praised the improved access to the bowling green and the thoughtful design of the park layout, highlighting the accessible ramp to the performance space and welcoming the enhanced market and new food hall. Another expressed hope for the revitalisation of Greyfriars and Eastgate Shopping Centre, appreciating the preservation of space for independent sellers in the market hall.
The council’s planning committee will soon review these proposals, which seek to address safety concerns while providing a welcome boost to the city’s social and economic landscape.