Princess Anne to attend official campus opening

The Princess Royal will attend the official opening of a new university campus, built on the site of an old department store.

Princess Anne, who lives on the Gatcombe Park estate near Minchinhampton, will visit the University of Gloucestershire's City Campus on Friday 16 January.

The campus, in Kings Square where Debenhams once stood, opened its doors to education, psychology, and social work students in August.

Dame Clare Marchant MBE, vice-chancellor of the university, said the princess attending the official opening was "a fitting milestone for the development".

The new campus will play "a pivotal role in the regeneration of Gloucester City Centre and has already generated £44m in social value", the university said.

It bought the building in 2021, following the closure of all Debenhams stores, and worked with construction group Morgan Sindall to turn it into a university campus.

The home of the university's education, psychology and social work programmes, the campus includes a public library and a new arts, health and wellbeing centre.

Dame Clare said the university is "immensely proud" of the campus.

"We have always sought to ensure that City Campus honours Gloucester's heritage while creating new opportunities for learning, collaboration and civic engagement," she said.

"As such, this is a hugely exciting way to begin this new chapter."

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