GCCC Meeting – 19 March 2024

Gloucester City Centre Commission

Notes of meeting held on Tuesday 19 March 2024 at the University of Gloucestershire, Oxstalls Campus

  1. Welcome and introduction by the Chair,

Dean Andrew welcomed everyone to the meeting.  A list of attendees and apologies presented is at Appendix 1.      

  • Review of progress on items considered at the previous meeting  on 23 November 2023:
  • Engaging Young People in the future of Gloucester – Lucy Willcox summarised the significant progress made to engage young people in the city, showing a video summarising the Youth Summit held in December.  The Council is currently recruiting 5 Peer Leaders to support the work and is strengthening connections with schools. It is also formalising work experience opportunities for young people.  
  • Reducing rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour in the city centre – Ismael Rhyman described the multi-agency approach taken to this issue and he emphasised that all rough sleepers are currently offered temporary accommodation.  The Council is stepping up its work to remove bedding and rough sleepers’ debris, albeit whilst respecting the sensitive nature of peoples’ belongings.  Ismael is looking into the introduction of lockers for rough sleepers. It is sometimes necessary to escalate the situation and serve an injunction to move offenders on.
  • The Gloucester City Centre Conservation Area Assessment – Ullin Jodah-McStea, explained that the document will be presented to Council on 22 March for adoption as Supplementary Planning Guidance, following publication consultation before Christmas.
  • Gloucester – a University City. 

Matthew Andrews led a discussion of what defines a successful University City and how Gloucester needs to change / improve to become seen as such.  The meeting broke in to 5 groups to discuss the issues and reported back the following main points:

  1. In general, Hartpury students tend to relate more to Gloucester, while UoG students associate more with Cheltenham.
    1. Gloucester nightclubs have an overall reputation for not being safe. The clubs themselves need to address this, eg. offering more security and better promotion to try to change perceptions.
    1. Sports is important to both universities, so strengthen the connections between local sports clubs and the two Unis.
    1. Encourage cafes in the city to incentivise daytime studying.
    1. The city could organise more cultural events for students – such as Scarefest
    1. There are lots of empty shops and spaces in the city centre.  Students and creatives could work together to fill those spaces temporarily (eg putting on performances and history exhibitions).
    1. A nightbus connecting the city centre to the main Uni campuses.
    1. Improve public transport between the city centre and the main Uni campuses
    1. Create and strengthen links to local employers
    1. Create Student Connectors to link students in each Uni to local businesses
    1. Communicate more effectively with students through better use of social media channels.
    1. Learn from other cities about how students live in and use the city centre (eg the Bristol art installations)
    1. Make the Guildhall more relevant to students
  • Strengthening safety in the city.

Lucy Willcox presented an introduction to Commonplace Have Your Say Today – Gloucester Public Spaces Safety Map – Commonplace, which covers the whole of the city and enables members of the public to record on a map locations where they have not felt safe.  It provides evidence to support interventions in those locations, including supporting applications for additional funding.  Lucy intends to engage schools, groups and clubs better and will continue buying the programme during 2024/25.

It was commented that we need to communicate the platform more to encourage use, including through the City Centre Commission members’ networks.

  • Together Gloucester.

Louisa Davies, reported on the recently announced 3 year funding award from Arts Council England to transform culture within the city, working from the grassroots.  There are 3 strands to the programme:

  • Animate – a city wide approach to programming and co-creation
  • Empower -local hubs of creative activity
  • People- talent development and supporting creative activity within communities.

The programme is intended to make Gloucester a better place to live, work and visit, placing residents and communities at the heart of cultural provision.  The programme includes commissioning funding for King’s Square, intended to bring animation and events to the space, and the meeting considered ideas on how to achieve this (including Zumba and dance classes, chess competitions and busking).  Punchline would be willing to include regular space for the project to promote activities in the programme.  

  • Gloucester Growth Plan.

Neil Hopwood presented the progress he has made to date on drafting the Plan, which follows research and discussions with many stakeholders in the city. The Plan will be structured around 9 key themes of:

  1. Regeneration and Public Realm
  2. Nature and Environment
  3. Housing Delivery & Management
  4. Culture and Heritage
  5. Communications and Community and Stakeholder Engagement
  6. Community Safety, Health and Well-being
  7. Business Support and Growth
  8. Skills & Workforce
  9. Inward Investment, Marketing and Promotion

The Plan will be submitted to the Council’s Cabinet after the elections and following consultation amongst key stakeholders, including those within the City Centre Commission.

Neil was thanked for the work he has done on researching and drafting the Plan.

  • Round up and close by Dean Andrew.

It was agreed that the four substantive topics considered at the meeting will be invited to return next time to offer an update on progress.  Dean Andrew thanked everyone for their attendance and input.

Appendix

In Attendance:

  • The Very Reverend Dean Andrew Zihni (chair)
  • Guy Stenson, Gloucester City Homes
  • Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Gloucester City Council
  • Ullin Jodah-McStea, Gloucester City Council (Heritage Service)
  • Rosie Byford, Historic England
  • Cllr Richard Cook, Leader, Gloucester City Council
  • Dev Chakraborty, GFirst LEP
  • Martyn White, Gloucester Civic Trust
  • Emma-Jane Benning, Strike a Light
  • Tom Saunders, Young Gloucestershire
  • David Evans, Gloucester City Council (secretariat)
  • Alex Cottrell, University of Gloucestershire
  • Tia Callum, Hundred Heroines
  • Dr Matthew Andrews, University of Gloucestershire
  • Ibby Williams, UoG Students’ Union (joined by a fellow students from the University, Isabel)
  • Neil Hopwood, Gloucester City Council
  • Lucy Willcox, Gloucester City Council (Communities)
  • Louisa Davies, Gloucester City Council (Culture)
  • Mark Owen, Punchline
  • Linda Greening, Hartpury College & University (joined by two students from the University, Alicia and……………… )
  • Ismael Rhyman, Gloucester City Council (City Centre Manager)
  • Joe Goodenough, Hartpury College & University

Apologies received from:

  • Miranda Eeles, Gloucester Community Building Collective
  • Deborah Potts, The Music Works
  • Andrew McLaughlin, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
  • Sam Holliday, Federation of Small Businesses
  • Emily Gibbon, Gloucester BID
  • Rachel Key, Gloucester City Council (Communities)
  • Cllr Terry Pullen, Gloucester City Council
  • Jennie Watkins, Richard Graham MP’s Office
  • Ian Mean, Business West
  • Jon McGinty, CEO, Gloucester City Council
  • Dr Polly Pick, UoG
  • Phil Hindson, Gloucester Culture Trust
  • The Rev Nikki Arthy
  • Stuart Emmerson, Hartpury College & University