The Queen has been invited to revisit Gloucester to see how one of the city's main regeneration schemes is progressing.

Gloucester City Council leader Cllr Paul James said Her Majesty's observations about derelict land at Bakers Quays in Gloucester Docks acted as a rallying call to ensure the site was improved.

Now, Cllr James has informed the Queen that work on improving the area is progressing well and that she would be welcome to the site again for herself.

In a letter, Cllr James wrote: "When Your Majesty visited Gloucester in 2009 to see the progress of regeneration at Gloucester Quays, I recall you looking over at the derelict land adjacent to it and commenting that we still had some work to do.

"Over the following years your comment has acted as a rallying call to ensure this land is regenerated.

"That land is known as Bakers Quay and has been derelict for around 20 years, with complications over land ownership making it difficult to bring forward for development.

"I am pleased to report that work has now started on site for a development including a hotel, restaurant and apartment building.

"This is thanks to the persistence of the developers Rokeby Merchant, with assistance from Gloucester City Council and your Government's Homes and Communities Agency. I enclose a brochure showing phase one of the development.

"There have been many challenges along the way, not least of which was an arson attack in September 2015, which destroyed the historic Provender Mill, but we believe the replacement building is a sensitive response to the historic context of the site.

"The first phase is due to complete in summer 2018 and we hope to follow on straight away with phase two, which will include conversion of the remaining heritage buildings to residential.

"We would always be pleased to welcome Your Majesty to Gloucester to see the further progress we have made with the city's regeneration."

Replying to the letter, The Queen's assistant private secretary said Her Majesty was "glad to hear that the regeneration of land is progressing well, even after the unfortunate arson attack in September 2015."

Picture credit: Wikimedia/NASA 

Readers' views:

Mike Lawrence: She's 93. Do these people ever think of anyone but themselves?

It might be thought important but in the great scheme of things generally it ranks very, very low. Think of the EU, Grenfell Tower, ISIS to get a sense of important in this context.

Leave the Queen alone now. She's done her bit, so just go away and do something at least as useful to the country. Then get back to us.

The British way of doing things means there always exists a long thread of royalty that means - the King is dead, long live the King is always true.

First think what you are doing and ask just one of the junior royals.