REDEVELOPMENT plans for King's Quarter could be delayed for up to six months.
A row has broken out over how far the multi-million pound scheme has progressed.
Developers Stanhope yesterday confirmed it has an anchor tenant signed up and that archaeological groundwork was likely to start soon. But a planning application, which was due to be submitted around now, will not go before councillors until later in the year.
Gloucester City Council leader Paul James said: "The application is not going to be made mid-this year as that is pretty much now, but rather toward the end of the year.
"This is how it goes sometimes for projects like this, but I am hopeful that a delivery in 2017 is still achievable.
"There is good progress being made in what is clearly a challenging environment for retail. We have had discussion with a number of leading retailers showing strong interest in the site."
Planning consultants WYG has cast doubts over King's Quarter in its efforts to push through another separate planning application elsewhere in the city.
In a report it says: "It is clear that the proposals to redevelop King's Quarter are in their infancy and far from certain of being delivered."
It also claimed a main anchor tenant for the £55million scheme had not been found.
But Martyn Chase, a Stanhope director, hit back saying: "It is not true. Things are very much together and we are very confident.
"We are going to be doing some site investigations shortly and we have an anchor tenant. It is all fine.
"They are just trying to rubbish us but they are wrong."
Barry Leach, chairman of the Gloucester City Centre Community Partnership, said: "Such a delay, and any in the future, would only re-enforce the need to address with some urgency the traders' and residents' concerns about creating a more active and vibrant core area of the city centre based around the gate streets and the northern end of the Docks.
"While the King's Quarter is a significant development in balancing the activity in the northern end of the city centre with the Quays, any delays means that the heart of the city, the gate streets, is left struggling.
"King's Quarter certainty is needed to ensure confidence continues to increase and other developers come to Gloucester based on that confidence."
