Morley Fund Management has been appointed by Gloucester City Council as its official development partner for a £1bn regeneration project. The fund, which is part of insurance group Aviva, and its development partner, Thornfield Properties, will explore the regeneration of the area around King's Square. It has appointed planning and design consultant Urban Initiatives to draw up a concept plan for the area. ‘Our initial analysis has identified that this site provides the potential for delivering a major retail-led regeneration scheme, as well as scope for enhancing Kings Square and other central spaces,' said Morley fund manager, Chris Paterson. ‘The city centre has underperformed in recent years. Many people who could be shopping here are currently going elsewhere, and we want to bring these shoppers back to Gloucester. ‘This not only means providing an appropriate range of shops, but also creating an environment which really enhances the city centre.' Gloucester City Council leader, Mark Hawthorne, said: ‘This is great news for the people of Gloucester. ‘We can all look forward with a great deal of excitement to seeing the plans that develop.'
