220 skeletons, the goddess of love and two multi-million pound developments

A tour of two multi-million pound developments set to shape Gloucester’s future has also unearthed news of the latest challenge for the city - what to do with 220 bodies dug up on on of the sites.

Dear reader,

We hope you had a great weekend.

Those of you who monitor your emails over the weekend might have seen us post the edition we had expected to publish on Friday, our construction-themed edition featuring a report on the recent Gloucestershire Constructing Excellence conference.

It also carried another Top 100 Businesses in Gloucestershire story, also construction-related, on Barnwood-based Newland Homes. It’s latest annual report tells, in a nutshell, the impact the planning system currently is having on the sector.

Today we don’t entirely let go of construction, with a long read triggered by a visit to the ongoing redevelopment of the old Debenhams building in Gloucester city centre into a new campus for the University of Gloucestershire and the fast-emerging £107 million development, The Forum.

This is the first time detail has emerged of how the plans - especially for the university - have had to change and adapt to make them fit for purpose. It’s a sign of the challenges it…