By the year 2050, it’s hoped that a new ‘Super City’ will be formed, connecting Gloucester and Cheltenham.
The ambitious idea has come from a group of local leaders which has developed a vision for Gloucestershire over the next 30 years. Calling itself Gloucestershire 2050; the group wants to see a ‘modern, prosperous centre’ between Gloucester and Cheltenham, including housing, jobs and community facilities. It hopes the development would encourage more young people to keep living, studying and working in the county.
The plan is one of six main ideas, launched today at the 2050 Big Conversation at Cheltenham Racecourse. Hundreds of businesses and organisations attended the event, to hear how they could help shape the Gloucestershire 2050 vision.
In addition to the Super City, other ideas include A Cyber City to develop skills, create jobs and grow business in the cyber security industry. Three Regional Parks including the Cotswolds, Severn Vale and the Forest of Dean being used more regularly for leisure, enjoyment and fitness. New Lydney Sharpness Bridge linking access between the two towns, adding more housing and increasing tourism in both areas. And new conferencing facilities added to Cotswold Water Park for both local and international guests.
You can find out more about the project in the video below.
The Gloucestershire 2050 vision was developed as a response to news that 400 young people are leaving the county each year, making it harder for businesses to fill their positions with talented young professionals. This is in addition to national pressures of an aging population, areas of deprivation and a housing shortage.
Stephen Marston, Vice Chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire, which organised today’s launch event said:
‘Gloucestershire is a fantastic place to live with bustling towns, a historic city, innovative businesses and beautiful countryside. But we face some major challenges over the next 30 years that will have a significant impact on all our lives if we don’t take action to address them.
‘We need to make sure that Gloucestershire offers a great quality of life for every generation, based upon shared values, and that means we need to explore some big ideas for how we could do things differently.’
