The development of a new six-storey building housing 141 'high quality' apartments at Gloucester Docks will not go ahead as planned, after proposals were withdrawn in May 2026.
Described as a 'missing piece' of the wider regeneration of the docks, the Canal & Rivers Trust had sought permission from Gloucester City Council for a new development containing 141 'build to rent' flats on a site known as West Quay, opposite Gloucester Quays between Llanthony Road and Severn Road.
But an application submitted by the trust and its developer partner, bloc, under the banner H20 Urban, has now been withdrawn, amid concerns over the impact the development might have had on neighbouring traditional shipbuilder T. Neilsen & Company.
According to local democracy reporter Carmelo Garcia, city council cabinet member for planning, Sarah Sawyer, said: 'Our Gloucester city plan explicitly says that any development in this area cannot impact on their business, they are world leaders in their field and we want to protect them.
'We welcome further conversations with the applicant should they wish to make another application in the future to bring this site forward in a policy compliant way.'
Other local objectors had also cited the impact the scheme could have on the shipbuilding firm – a 'world leader' in repairing, restoring and building traditional ships and rigging that has operated at the docks since 1988.
One commenter explained the development 'cuts into the land required for storage and project work on the shipyard site affecting its operation and viability'.
And concerns were also raised about the lack of parking included in the plans, and the knock on effect that would have on parking availability in the area.
Rebecca Trimbell, who represents the area on the city council, said it was 'totally unrealistic to claim that none of the 141 flats of the proposed development would own a car and therefore there was insufficient car parking to accommodate the size of this development'.
West Quay, which sits within the Docks Conservation Area, currently consists of a car park and three warehouses.
With design described as being informed by the 'existing modern character' of nearby developments, while remaining in keeping with neighbouring historic buildings including through the retention of a former GWR warehouse, the scheme would have provided a mix of one- and two-bedroom flats specifically for rent, delivering housing which the partnership says is 'much-needed' in Gloucester due to its high annual requirement for new homes.
A spokesperson for H2O Urban said they withdrew the application after a productive dialogue with planners. They plan to fully address the substance of consultee comments with a view to submitting updated plans 'in the next few months'.
They said: 'We remain confident that our proposed residential development represents a positive opportunity to regenerate West Quay – one of the last underused parts of Gloucester Docks – and to deliver much-needed new homes within the city.'
