Opportunities
The Golden Valley Development site, located beside GCHQ in West Cheltenham, will see up to 200-hectares of land transformed into a world-class, multi-purpose development with the UK’s first cyber focused campus, Cyber Central, at its heart.
It will be a place where innovation and commerce collide, offering a substantial, accessible site with far-reaching benefits for our local community. It will create new and diverse employment opportunities, improve our sustainable transport infrastructure and drive forward housing growth.
Cyber Central builds on Cheltenham’s international reputation for leadership in cyber security and the development will see the Cyber Innovation Centre, bringing together GCHQ’s innovation programmes, academia, business and event space; offering up to two million square feet of commercial floor space for this rapidly growing sector.
Cyber Central will be the commercial and innovative heart of the wider Golden Valley Garden Community with over 3,000 homes creating a community supported by shops, cafes, restaurants and leisure facilities. It will significantly enhance Cheltenham’s appeal as a destination for living and working
As a region, we are already at the forefront of the UK’s rapidly expanding cyber industry. With the Golden Valley Development, we have a unique opportunity to build on this, creating an internationally significant cyber-tech campus that will lead the way in the UK’s mission to be the safest place to do online business and a world leader in cyber security.
Cyber central
Cyber Central is the commercial core for the Golden Valley Development. It will be the UK’s first cyber-tech campus bringing together business, events space, academia, leisure and accommodation. At its heart, a unique commercial anchor, the Cyber Innovation Centre (CIC). A concept announced by the Chancellor in 2015 that has been extensively developed over the last 5 years.
The CIC provides a focal point for the innovation programmes operated by GCHQ and the NCSC, but uniquely co-located with academic support and cutting edge business, creating a skills development zone with high energy meeting and events space. This will provide the perfect environment to incubate, nurture and accelerate ideas, transforming them at pace into deliverable commercial reality whilst growing a home for long-term talent flow.
A GARDEN COMMUNITY
Last year in a fiercely competitive field the government selected the Golden Valley Development to be part of the Garden Communities programme.
Homes England described the vision of integrated development creating a vibrant pioneering community as compelling. The Golden Valley presents a unique proposition, providing a truly sustainable development, with a high value employment driver supported by 3000 plus homes.
"By bringing the homes and the tech together, the development is going to create a world-class environment that is sustainable and will be a superb place to live."
Ian Collinson
Homes England
PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES
Cheltenham Borough Council has shown its commitment to the development with the purchase of 45 hectares of land, making it the biggest single purchase ever made by the council at £37.5 million. The council has a further £180 million funding available for the delivery of high-quality homes.
Cheltenham Borough Council is now in the process of undertaking a formal procurement process to secure a lead development partner to deliver the Golden Valley proposals. The selection process is being undertaken in accordance with European Union Legislation and is being supported by the Department of International Trade as a project of international significance.
Following the commencement of the formal procurement process in May 2020 and subsequent shortlisting in July, it is hoped that a lead partner will be announced in Spring 2021.