The University of Gloucestershire has been granted planning permission to transform a former Debenhams department store into its new city campus.
In a meeting on Tuesday (March 1) Gloucester City Council’s Planning Committee unanimously approved the university’s plans to redevelop the city centre building in King’s Square into a learning space for its staff and students.
The university said committee members welcomed its application as a “positive way” to retain and re-purpose the 1930s art deco building.
It added the new teaching facility would “contribute significantly” to the regeneration of the city, adding an estimated £86m to Gloucester’s economy and creating more than 1,200 jobs.
The academic institution said, once complete, the building will house nearly 4,000 students and 350 staff - benefitting retailers, hospitality businesses and leisure venues in and around Gloucester city centre.
Construction work is scheduled to begin on site in May, with investigation, enabling and strip-out works already underway.
Staff and students – mainly from the school of health and social care – will begin accessing teaching facilities from September next year, on parts of the ground floor, lower-ground floor and first floor of the building.
Stephen Marston, vice-chancellor at the University of Gloucestershire, said the project was a “massive investment” in the future of both the university and the city.
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Mr Marston said: “As well as the wider benefits of better access for the community to excellent higher education, the city campus will allow us to increase the supply of nurses and other health professionals to meet the needs of the NHS, and enable joint projects on libraries, health and wellbeing, all of it bringing new vibrancy, new opportunity and new growth to the city.”
The city campus building will comprise learning spaces equipped with the latest technology, a university library, student help zones and a dedicated faith space. On the lower ground floor, a large lecture theatre will also act as a conferencing and exhibition space.
A public access café with a frontage on King’s Square is also set to open, while the university is also progressing plans with Gloucestershire County Council for a new public library on the ground floor.
Cllr Dave Norman, cabinet member for public protection, parking and libraries at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “I am delighted to see the excellent progress made on the University of Gloucestershire’s project, and that it has been supported with the grant of planning permission. We will continue to work closely with the University on proposals for a public library within the new building.”
Contractor Morgan Sindall Group has been appointed to the project, which is being managed by Ridge and Partners LLP. ADP Architecture’s design team worked with university staff and students to finalise the phase one plans.
Debenhams’ former King’s Square store was one of 124 to close, after the 242-year-old brand was bought by online fashion retailer Boohoo in a £55m deal in January 2021.
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