City centre car parks could become housing

Car parks could be redeveloped to provide hundreds of new homes in a city centre where parking is already "diabolical".

Gloucester City Council is developing a new masterplan to set out its regeneration vision for Gloucester, which would include strengthening the city centre with redevelopments including more housing.

Longsmith Street, King's Walk, The Oxbode, Eastgate Shopping Centre and Lower Eastgate Street have been identified by the council as areas with potential for new housing.

Pam Tracey, Conservative councillor for Westgate, raised concerns about the current "diabolical" parking situation in Gloucester, adding: "People can't park as it is, even going to the railway station."

"People have got to use cars, you can't get a proper bus," Tracey said.

The car parks in Longsmith Street and Ladybellegate Street have the potential to house between 90-100 homes with a pocket park, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It could also be delivered as purpose-built student accommodation, the report said.

King's Walk has the potential to deliver up to 20 homes as well as rebuilding or retrofitting to provide a new frontage to Kings Square, while 20-25 could be built at The Oxebode, retaining the existing frontage and introducing a new building with a large internal courtyard.

The masterplan also suggests there is the potential to build between 60-75 homes to create a new north-south connection from Cromwell Street to Lower Eastgate Street.

Karen James, Labour group deputy leader, said any city centre investment should be welcomed, particularly with how high streets were changing.

"More city centre housing will revitalise the area and increase footfall, thus benefiting businesses," she said.

"Moreover, it should be affordable and include a minimum of 30 per cent social housing. While none of the schemes mentioned are new ideas, it would be good to see some action on taking them forward."

Meanwhile, Howard Hyman, Liberal Democrat councillor for Westgate, said the plan should be reviewed as he expressed concerns regarding the potential loss of parking.

"I'm just wondering if it would be better to look elsewhere for housing rather than taking away what I consider to be important car parking space," he said.

The draft is due to be published for public consultation later this month.

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