Executive architects have been appointed for The Forum development in Gloucester ahead of a major hurdle for the next phase of the project.

The application for the second phase of the £107million King's Quarter regeneration will go before Gloucester City Council's planning committee next week.

And developer Reef Group, who are working alongside the council, has appointed Whittam Cox to lead the technical implementation of The Forum, the digital campus which forms part of the project.

They will work alongside architects Urban R who are leading the concept and planning stages of the project.

Reef development director Esther Croft said: :This is set to create one of the UK's first truly integrated digital societies and will provide the space and the infrastructure to build a seamless link between city centre living and working, in a new social and digital hub."

Next week's planning committee meeting will be asked to grant full planning permission for the next phase of the development on the site of the former Bruton Way car park and bus station as well as adjoining land on Market Parade and Station Road.

The 600,000sq ft plan for The Forum includes more than 125,000sq ft of new office space, as well as a shared workspace club and an innovation hub for emerging cyber businesses and incubator businesses.

This will sit alongside a 135-bedroom four-star hotel, a gym, restaurants, shops, bars and apartments and a multi-storey car park alongside more than one acre of public realm and landscaping work.

If permission is granted, work is expected to start later this year.