Commerce

III COMMERCE

32. The mediaeval plan of Gloucester shows concentration of commerce as close as possible to the Cross. Westgate Street was the principal approach and business street, and Northgate Street 'a locality for shops'. There was some trade around the docks. The owner lived above his shop and his long garden was essential to living. In the nineteenth century the railway station, and the development of the town in the same direction, began to exert a pull towards the south-east. In due course the north-east quadrant changed shape, and the Oxbode and King's Square were formed. The bus station, established temporarily in King's Square, is now moving further north-east towards the station, and adjoins the largest car park within the proposed ring road.

33. This commercial trend has altered the historic balance in the city. While the Cathedral precinct has stabilized the North-West Quadrant (the remote west section of which is suitable for residential development - the consultant would like to record his admiration for the first stage of this work, already complete, which he considers unique), (a) the South-West Quadrant has land within the inner Ring Road of sufficiently low value to justify very large extensions to the Shire Hall, including its own car park, and (b) the South-East Quadrant has already provided sites for the existing Technical College, and the new Civic Centre. These areas lie at the rear of the shops along the streets leading from the Cross, whose goodwill for two hundred yards or so from the centre does not appear to be affected by the rise of King's Square. It is one of the cardinal points of this Plan that this remains so.

34. it is now therefore possible to detect a modern and presumably final character in each Quadrant, arising from the following basic causes:-

North-West: The Cathedral and Precincts

South-West: County Buildings and Industry

South-East Civic, Educational and Market

North-East Commercial and Entertainment

35. It is clear that the increase in the purchasing power of the community has to date justified the extra shopping areas round King's Square. The present trend means that King's Square and St. Aldate Street will still further increase in value as a shopping area, but, while it may be safe to assume that the purchasing power will keep pace, it is also prudent to take steps at least to ensure that the present and potentially new customers are not later attracted elsewhere by better facilities.

36.To attract present-day shoppers, apart from the goods on sale, the following would appear paramount:-

(a) Ample and easily accessible car parks close to the shops, and good public transport.

(b) An exhilarating environment

37. To regulate the disposition of shoppers (i.e. to retain or create land values for the purposes of shopping) it would appear necessary to depend upon the following:-

(a) The location of car parks and bus stops

(b) The goodwill value of established centres, such as the Market

(c) The pleasure, or displeasure, of moving as a pedestrian from part to part.

38. A comparison of existing and proposed shopping areas is shown in Figs. 6-7. The new areas are more compact, and in practice may, by reason of larger floor areas per frontage, indicate a slight increase in total floor space. The areas also in principle retain their present character, except for that adjoining and north of St Aldate Street. This becomes a complex of Conference Hall, entertainment, car park, and shops at ground level.