County council leader Mark Hawthorne swung his sledgehammer to kick off a £4.3 million regeneration project today.

Cllr Hawthorne (pictured left) flexed his council muscles to begin the demolition of Quayside House, Gloucester.

Built in the 1960's with a 30 year design life - Quayside House has not received any significant investment in recent times. The building is run down and tired, so the council is bringing it down to make way for future development.

Extensive preparations have already been completed, including ground condition and archaeological investigations. By completing this work the area will become a great possible development opportunity.

By using the existing foundations, the Quayside site will be transformed into a brand new mixed-use building including residential accommodation and car parking.

£4.13m funding was secured three years ago from central government and the GFirst LEP Gloucestershire Growth Deal to prepare for the redevelopment. Plans for the remainder of the Quayside area are also taking shape; with more news being announced soon.

There's more exciting regeneration happening in the area including the city council's Blackfriars redevelopment and new plans to convert Gloucester prison into 202 apartments.

Works are moving swiftly on the Shire Hall bridge block regeneration as well. This includes fitting energy efficient windows and cladding as well as new solar panels.

Cllr Hawthorne said: "The demolition of Quayside House is an important milestone in the regeneration of the area. Working alongside our partners, including the city council and University of Gloucestershire, work has been progressing well on the Quayside and Blackfriars areas of Gloucester. This regeneration will create future opportunities to boost the local economy and attract more visitors to our city."

Cllr Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: "This is another important step towards the regeneration of the city, coming on top of the development of student accommodation at the Barbican and the recladding of Shire Hall.

"I'm looking forward to seeing Quayside House being replaced by something more attractive which will complement the proposed redevelopment at the former Prison site next door. The masterplan we launched only a few years ago is fast becoming a reality."

David Owen, Chief Executive of GFirst LEP, added: "Seeing the funding from GFirst LEP's Growth Deal helping to deliver the masterplan for the regeneration of Quayside and Blackfriars is fantastic and will bring investment and job opportunities into the city."