The editor of The Citizen in Gloucester has been appointed vice chairman of the Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company.

The organisation says that Ian Mean’s commitment to the city and his wide experience as a senior journalist in London, Birmingham and Manchester make him the ideal person to fill the position.

Since joining The Citizen in September 2003, he has become known for his positive editorial approach and his passionate belief in the history and potential of Gloucester.

It is this commitment which led to the invitation to become one of Gloucester Heritage’s founder board members - and then his appointment as the chairman of its successful marketing and communications panel.

A spokesman for the group said: "Ian is very well known around the city and he is also a member of the Gloucestershire Crimestoppers Board; his lively and insightful twice-weekly reviews of the national press for BBC Radio Gloucestershire are becoming legendary."

The aim of the GHURC is to attract £1bn in private sector investment during the next ten years to transform the historic core of the city and the surrounding areas. Key regeneration projects in Gloucester include Gloucester Docks, Blackfriars (linking the Docks with the central retail core and the Cathedral Quarter), Kings Square, the Western Waterfront and Gloucester Quays and the railway corridor.