Wanted – tenant for cafe/pub at centre of £200m regeneration
As the £100m Forum development rises up in the centre of Gloucester the city council is turning its attention to shaping the future of the former Chambers public house.
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Even with a £100-million development taking place all around it, finding a new tenant to take over a former city centre pub at the heart of the
You might have thought a prime site in the middle of a £100-million redevelopment of Gloucester city centre, with an incredible foot fall past its front door, would be easy to find a new tenant for.
But clearly the answer to that question is ‘no it isn’t’. At least, there is a factor in the equation that makes a former pub now owned by the local authority which has had at least two serious bids placed that has scuppered each of them.
We’ll leave that for you to speculate on whether that is changes of leadership at Gloucester City Council or the time it takes local authorities to handle decisions driving away commercial proposals, or none of the above.
Whatever the reason for at least one major pub chain walking away from taking of the former Chambers pub overlooking King’s Square, and an exciting pitch by entrepreneur Rich Palmer to team up with Gloucester Brewery to open a community cafe coming to nothing, the council is again making noises about the building’s future.
Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton), now leader of the city council , has begun talking-up the boarded-up 3,500 sq ft building on the corner of Market Parade.
“It would lift the ambiance of Kings Square and would be an attraction for people working in the Forum,” said Hilton.
“That is the preference of the council. It has been empty for too long.
“The time is getting right now. It will take time to fit it out. It will all be done when the Forum is finished.
“With the university campus opening it will all add to the number of people that would use such a place.
“You want somewhere that is a nice place for people to sit down, have a chat, have something to drink and eat after work.”
Above the site is Kings House where the council has worked with partners to establish a cultural hub for Jolt, an incubator for creative and cultural businesses and entrepreneurs, and The Music Works, with music studios, teaching rooms and performance spaces.
Council chiefs said they wanted to make the site a destination for both daytime and evening activity when the council first advertised the leasehold of the site in 2023.
Speaking at the time the then city council leader Richard Cooke said: “We know that there has been a lot of interest in what will happen to the Chambers pub and quite rightly as it is a key part of the huge £200 million regeneration taking place around Kings Quarter.
“We’re keen to attract a tenant who will help us take that vision forward and who is as ambitious as we are to make Gloucester a vibrant city, with plenty to offer both the day and night time economy.”
The council said it still hopes a new occupier could be found to create a café culture, perhaps promoting the region’s talented food and drink producers.
The old pub opened on September 21, 1999. It was built on the site of the former Pearce Pope offices which were known as St Aldate’s Chambers.
By Carmelo Garcia, local democracy reporter for Gloucestershire. carmelo.garcia@reachplc.com