By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
More than £300,000 will be spent on repairs and to explore options for a historic Gloucester city landmark.
The former Fleece Hotel in Westgate Street is one of the city’s most historically important buildings.
But the site’s scale, age and complexity presents significant conservation challenges for Gloucester City Council.
And the latest investment will help stabilise the Westgate Range but significant extra funding will still be needed to bring the entire complex back into sustainable long-term use.
Andy Hearne, the council’s head of place, said the funding would go towards roof repairs, renovation of the shop fronts and options appraisals for what could be achieved at the wider site.
This would be done with a view to attracting investors for the site.
He told last night’s (November 2) overview and scrutiny committee that the team put in a considerable amount of effort to secure the grant funding.
Mr Hearne said they have been offered a grant of £261,500 which is great news.
“There is a 43,000 match funding requirement,” he said.
He explained the amount of money the council would spend on maintenance at the Fleece over the next year would probably exceed the match funding amount.
“While it might feel match funding in our current predicament is a big ask, we would probably end up spending more, so this £261,000 grant is coming at a timely point for us for a key historic building in the city,” he said.
The committee recommended that the managing director accept the £261,500 grant for the work at The Fleece Hotel and approve the £43,000 match funding budget.
Officers continue to seek funding for further phases of development work for the Fleece project, from various sources, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Chairman Andrew Gravells (C, Abbeydale) said the Fleece Hotel will be a “big asset” for the city when all the work is completly.
“It’s something that could really put Gloucester on the map,” he said. “Something that we should be proud of.”
He said the committee thanked Mr Hearne and his team for spotting the grant funding and wished them the best of luck to get the scheme moving.
The Fleece Hotel was first opened in 1497 as one of the three major inns in Gloucester to house pilgrims visiting the tomb of Edward II.
The undercroft was originally part of a merchant’s house and was incorporated into the structure, being owned by and developed by Gloucester Abbey during the 16th century. It was first recorded as the Golden Fleece in 1673.
It is a complex collection of interconnected structures spanning several centuries, including the medieval inn and a 12th-century vaulted undercroft known as the Monk’s Retreat.
The building was Grade I listed in January 1952, with other parts of the site listed Grade II in December 1998. The site ceased to operate as a hotel in 2002 and was purchased by the South West
Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and passed to the City Council when the SWRDA was disbanded in 2011.
The council has spent more than £350,000 to protect the historic fabric of the buildings, while actively pursuing uses for the site.