The owners of Gloucester Quays say they are looking for a buyer to take the destination-shopping site 'to the next stage of its journey'.

As revealed by Punchline Gloucester yesterday, the centre developed by Peel L&P has been put on the market with a price tag of £105 million.

The popular shopping and leisure site is considered one of the city's 'jewels in the crown' of urban redevelopment, attracting seven million visitors before the lockdowns last year.

The adjacent Gloucester Retail Park is also up for sale for around £20 million pounds. Real estate firm Savills is handling the sale.

Stephen Wild, Executive Director for Peel L&P said: "Gloucester Quays is a well-established place with an exceptionally diverse retail and leisure offering. We are currently looking for an investor to come on board and help take the centre to the next stage of its journey as a premier-choice, place-led destination in Gloucester.

"Like any other retail and leisure offering in the UK, Gloucester Quays has faced challenges as a result of the pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, but it has weathered the storm well due to the quality and vibrancy of its customer proposition. The centre is trading well and since re-opening in April, has reported a 54% increase in average spend compared to 2019 figures."

Ian Mean, Business West Gloucestershire director and former vice chair of the Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company, said: "Gloucester as a city owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Peel Group and its founder and boss John Whittaker.

"Over 25 years ago he came to look at Gloucester and decided that the land around the Docks was a prime development opportunity.

"He was right and since then Peel have probably pumped in more than £250 million of their own cash into the development of Gloucester Quays.

"I was privileged to be vice-chair of the Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company from October 2006 while I was editor of the Citizen, and I can say - without fear or favour - that this city could not have had a better partner than Peel."

He remembers running two pages in the paper with all the planning committee councillors' pictures saying they had to approve the Quays being built for the sake of the city's overall development.

He added: "They made the right decision, of course.

"A lot of rubbish has been talked about how the Quays has allegedly taken trade away from the city centre. Absolutely wrong.

"At the last count, it was attracting 7 million visitors a year and was a real magnet for day trippers from as far away as South Wales."

He said that Developers Peel were not just about developing retailers for profit, they had kept events like the Tall Ships alive with vital financial support.

"Gloucester owes a great deal to the vision of John Whittaker and Peel over the years," he said.

Sam Holliday, Development Manager for the Federation of Small Businesses for Gloucestershire, said: "Gloucester Quays is a fantastic asset to the city bringing a mix of quality retail, hospitality and cultural attractions together for the benefit of local people and visitors alike.

"The Quays area's remarkable regeneration has mirrored that of the city itself and all of our city centre businesses - whatever their size - have benefitted from the fact it has helped make Gloucester a genuine and respected retail and hospitality destination."

He said that it was sad to see the current owners, who had done so much to 'make this all happen' had decided this was the time to 'hand over the baton'.

But he added: "Whoever picks it up, we just hope they have the same verve and ambition to ensure Gloucester Quays remains at the forefront of business activity in the county. The success of the Quays is vital for the success of the city and the wider city centre area - long may it continue."

David Jones, Managing Director at Evans Jones Property and Planning Consultancy, said: "Gloucester Quays has been the linchpin for the redevelopment of Gloucester, providing the catalyst for the redevelopment of Gloucester Docks, creating a thriving retail and leisure destination.

"During a period where many retailers have struggled, the owners of the Quays have been proactive in organising a range of successful events and festivals to drive footfall and create a vibrant centre where people want to visit, live, work, shop and play."

He said the visionary approach to regeneration taken by Peel was one that town centres and high streets needed to learn from, and that it was hoped that Peel's successors would continue to build on this.

He added: "The significant investment made by Peel, combined with the ongoing regeneration of Gloucester, make the Quays an attractive proposition for a buyer to come forward and take the centre to the next chapter in its history."

But Keith Graham, of Morgan DeVere Menswear in Northgate Street, offered a different perspective, saying the Quays development had actually 'sucked the life blood' out of the city centre.

He said: "Punchline's article on Gloucester's flag ship retail shopping and leisure complex being put up for sale by its owners Peel Holdings is very interesting, but does not paint the full story.

"Yes, no one can deny that it has regenerated a rundown area of the city but it has also sucked the life blood out of Gloucester city centre. The town centre is now virtually nothing more than coffee shops, Poundlands and charity shops, driving more and more shoppers to Cheltenham."

He continued that plans for the future of the city centre made him "despair". He said: "Our great historic city, with its beautiful cathedral is going to become even more run down and unattractive, full of social housing and students who have very little disposable income to spend.

He also expressed dismay that the loss of Debenhams had left Primark as the "anchor store" in the city centre. He added: "I listen and hear the comments by the 'great and good' - they have no idea, never taking into account the bigger picture."