Gloucester City Council has drawn up a four-year corporate plan which includes developing large swathes of land and securing employment at Gloucestershire Airport.

Cabinet is set to approve a draft document at a meeting on November 13 and it will then go out to public consultation.

It sets out the strategic direction of work for the council for 2025-28 and how it intends to deliver its priorities and "put the heart back into Gloucester".

Topping the plan is the completion of The £107million Forum "ensuring income meets expected levels and office occupancy is at least 80%."

Contractors Reef were originally due to complete the project by this summer but work is still being carried out, with more than 70% of space taken and Fasthosts  the latest business to sign up.

Civic chiefs also want to develop masterplans for key sites, including Greyfriars, the Eastgate Quarter and Northgate area. Earlier this week the council announced it had secured £11m of funding for the Greyfriars Quarter  development.

The draft plan also says housing developments will be brought forward at Whitefriars, St Oswalds, Wessex House and Spreadeagle Court. The council also wants to provide specialist heritage advice into major regeneration projects including The Fleece Hotel and Baker's Quay.

It said the plan, will 'put the heart back into the city' by focusing on three priorities

• A vibrant and attractive city that celebrates Gloucester's unique heritage.
• Inclusive, thriving communities and residents that feel safe, supported and valued.
• An innovative and accountable council focused on providing high-quality, accessible services and facilities.

Each priority has a set of promises the council wants to fulfil, accompanied by a number of actions and projects it wants to undertake.

One promise is to: "Deliver a stronger economy by creating and sustaining job opportunities for local people and to attract new workers to the city."

Actions to achieve this include determining Gloucestershire Airport's long-term future and safeguarding employment at the site.

The Staverton transport hub was put on the market in October  after months of uncertainty. Civic bosses have not revealed if any offers have been received so far.

It also wants to work with the University of Gloucestershire and other academic institutions to create job opportunities for graduates, as well as supporting entrepreneurs, business start ups and the self- employed to grow and be successful in the city.

Other actions in the plan include:

• Adopt a new 10-year Housing Strategy.
• Work with property owners to bring empty homes back into use and review the landlord incentive scheme to increase the number of private rented homes available.
• Oversee and grow the Gloucester Lottery and identify new ways to increase funding for VCS organisations.
• Tackle the backlog of unaudited accounts, ensuring the Council publishes draft (unaudited) accounts each year by the backstop dates proposed by the Government.
• Deliver an events programme in 2027 to commemorate the historical significance of the 700th anniversary of the burial of Edward II and the 200th Anniversary of Gloucester Docks.
• Provide quality public amenities for residents and tourists, including improved free public Wi-Fi, more public toilets and investigate the installation of water refill stations.
  
• Employ professional gardeners to oversee the improvement of our public gardens.
• Install solar panels at GL1 and explore other opportunities to produce renewable energy from Council property.

Cllr Jeremy Hilton, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: "I am proud that our Corporate Plan for 2025-28 will put the heart back into our great city.

"We want to create a vibrant city with thriving communities in which people feel safe, valued and supported.

"I would encourage residents from across the city to have their say on the plan during the consultation and work with the council to help us put the heart back into Gloucester."

The public consultation is due to run from November 15 to December 27.

It is expected to go before the full council for final approval by January 30, 2025.

To read the full cabinet report, visit the Gloucester City Council website.