Questions raised over the Forum’s costs
As Gloucester City Council's leadership team trumpeted The Forum regeneration project this week, it came under scrutiny from councillors asking why £40m of that total wasn't even on construct costs.
Questions have been raised over the costs associated with delivering Gloucester’s £115.1m The Forum project as around £40m of the money spent did not go on construction.
The prominent city centre landmark off Station Road houses a four-star hotel, a 399-space car park and more than 106,000 square feet of office space.
A report reflecting on the major regeneration project was scrutinised by councillors at Gloucester City Council earlier this week, with bosses quizzed over the costs of the project.
Councillor Alastair Chambers (I, Matson, Robinswood and White City) asked whether the total value of the project was still £107m as was originally budgeted for.
Andy Hearne, the head of place at Gloucester City Council, explained that was the original figure approved by the cabinet.
But subsequently £8.1m from levelling up funding from the ill-fated Fleece Hotel project went into the overall development project as a contingency as none had bee…
