On 18 August 2025, University of Gloucestershire will be opening its City Campus to the public. 

This historic moment is the culmination of years of hard work, collaboration and investment, that has seen the former Debenhams site transformed into a state-of-the-art centre for teaching, learning and community services.

University of Gloucestershire purchased the building in 2021 and has subsequently been working with Morgan Sindall to transform this 20,000m2 site, creating a vibrant new hub in the heart of Gloucester. City Campus is now home to the University’s Education, Psychology and Social Work programmes and represents a major investment in the facilities for these key courses.

As part of this project – which will play a leading role in the regeneration of Gloucester City Centre – the building will also offer shared public access facilities. These include a new Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre delivered in partnership with the NHS Integrated Care Board, and a new public library in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council.

Since the development began, City Campus has already generated a social value of £22.95 million for the local community by creating jobs, establishing new connections with business and the third sector, and respecting the environment during the build process. Sustainability has also been central to the project’s delivery principles – for example, outdated gas boilers have been replaced with air sourced heat pumps which will result in a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

Dame Clare Marchant, DBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said:

“This is a hugely proud moment for University of Gloucestershire and for all our partners who have supported us throughout this groundbreaking and complex journey.

“City Campus is a game-changer for Gloucester and the wider Gloucestershire community. As well as providing our students with a fantastic, future-proofed learning experience, City Campus will bring substantial long-term social, educational and economic benefits to the region.

“By providing us with a presence in the centre of Gloucester, City Campus really is the embodiment of our vision of being the connected university. We are right at the heart of the community we serve, and over the coming weeks and months we look forward to forging ever-closer ties with our new neighbours – be they businesses, educators, voluntary sector organisations or community groups.

“To everybody who lives or works in Gloucester – this is your City Campus. Our doors are open. Please come in.”

The site includes a Victorian wing and sections dating back to the 1930s and 1950s, meaning the transformation has been complex. However, preserving the heritage and character of this iconic building has been a central focus throughout.

Richard Fielding, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Midlands, said:

“The transformation of the former Debenhams building into the University of Gloucestershire’s City Campus demonstrates our commitment to honouring the past while building for the future.

“This iconic structure tells the story of Gloucester’s evolution across more than a century, and so preserving its heritage and character has been absolutely imperative throughout the project.”

“Our Morgan Sindall Construction team feels truly privileged to play a role in the building’s complex transformation, which now stands as proof that heritage preservation and progressive development are complementary values that, when combined, create spaces that honour history, while still serving the contemporary needs of the city.

“It’s great to reach the completion milestone so we can now hand over the building for the next generation to enjoy.”

The opening also marks the start of a new chapter for the City’s already flourishing arts health community, as the building includes a new Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre (AHWC) funded by the ICB.

Tracey Cox, Director of People, Culture and Engagement at NHS Gloucestershire, said:

“We are proud to be part of the new City Campus and can’t wait to get started with courses and workshops in the new Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre.

“We know Gloucestershire is already leading the way when it comes to arts health and creative therapies and this will help us support even more people and communities in the city and wider county. We couldn’t do any of this without the support of our partners in the VCSE sector and they will be vital to our continued success.

“It will also be a huge boost to the work already being done to strengthen the health and care workforce in Gloucestershire through excellent learning and training opportunities. We know the City Campus will inspire the lives of everyone who uses it.”

Opening in the autumn, City Campus will also include the City’s library, which will be relocating from its current site on Brunswick Road.

Cllr. Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet member for libraries at Gloucestershire County Council said:

“It’s such fantastic news that this state-of-the-art facility is nearing completion. Not only will the transformed building breathe new life into King’s Square, but it will also provide wonderful new facilities to library users when we move in next month. Co-locating with the City Campus will create a vibrant, dynamic and inspirational new environment in Gloucester.”

City Campus is part of a £200million regeneration of Kings Square in Gloucester. In addition to City Campus, other projects include The Forum, Gloucester City Council’s £107 million office, residential and retail development.

Jeremy Hilton, Leader of Gloucester City Council, said:

“Gloucester City Centre is transforming into a vibrant, sustainable, and economically thriving hub before our eyes, and it is wonderful to have University of Gloucestershire’s City Campus at the heart of it. The Forum, which will have some of the most high-tech business facilities in the UK, a new hotel and retail facilities, and the ambitious plans we have for the Greyfriars Quarter, are all helping to put life back into our amazing, historic city.”

Alex McIntyre, MP for Gloucester, said:

“This new campus and wider regeneration of King’s Square will be transformative for our city, delivering a vibrant student community, potential for new businesses to cater for them and the new Forum development and a new county library. I can’t wait to see the new City Campus come to life over the coming months.”

Pictured: Cllr Jeremy Hilton (Leader of Gloucester City Council), Cllr Colin Hay (Deputy Leader, Gloucestershire County Council), Richard Fielding (Area Director Morgan Sindall), Dame Clare Marchant (Vice-Chancellor UoG), Hannah Gorf (Senior Programme Manager, Glos ICB), Katerina Kantartzis (Lead: Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre), Claire Knight (Gloucester Bid) and Izzy Townsend (Gloucester Bid).

The Arts, Health and Wellbeing space