Up to 40 homes could be built on 'key' car park

A 'key' city centre car park could be turned into 40 new homes as part of council housing plans.

Southgate Moorings in Gloucester, which has space for 179 cars, has been marked for development.

At a Gloucester City Council meeting earlier this week, councillor Andrew Gravells said the car park "is key to what's going on here in the Gloucester Docks area and I really do wonder whether or not we are doing the right thing by removing the car park".

But councillor Sarah Sawyer, a former cabinet member for planning, told the meeting there would be "plenty of parking" for visitors.

Council officers across Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury have been working on a new blueprint which sets out where development will take place over the next 20 years.

The three areas need to find land for a combined total of 43,879 homes.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said councillors endorsed the masterplan at the meeting, and it will now go to public consultation at a later date.

Gloucester City Council is also looking at other sites to build about 200 homes in car parks such as Longsmith Street, Kingswalk and Oxbode, Eastgate Shopping Centre, and Lower Eastgate Street.

Sawyer said: "Officers have done a big car park review and looked at all of the car parks across the city and worked out which ones we need to keep and which ones we don't."

"There will be plenty of car parking for people who come to the city, I just want to reassure you about that," she added.

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