Bosses at GCHQ say that Cheltenham’s Golden Valley development will lead to huge changes in national security relationships between government, industry and academia, helping the security sector’s science and technology plans.
The plans for the £1 billion West Cheltenham project, which is to be at the heart of the UK government’s National Cyber Strategy, were submitted recently.
Innovation across 116 acres
Developer HBD x Factory (part of the Henry Boot group) will be delivering the development, alongside Cheltenham Borough Council and other local partners.
The 116 acre-plus development aims to give the area an innovation district with more than 1 million square feet of commercial space. This, it’s hoped, will draw in science and tech businesses to add to the existing cyber, AI, deep tech and quantum sectors in the region.
There’ll be new homes, too
Golden Valley will also bring more than 1,000 low-carbon properties to the town, as well as lots of green spaces, community amenities and a new primary school.
There are more proposals in the pipeline, with separate plans for the National Cyber Innovation Centre coming in the new year after the agreement of £95 million in funding for the building.
GCHQ’s deputy chief scientific adviser for national security, Paul Killworth, said that GCHQ supports CBC’s vision of Golden Valley as a high-tech cluster of cyber and tech companies.
The development will, Killworth added, lead to a “…sea-change in national security relations between government, academia and industry.” GCHQ is already playing an important role in these sectors at home and abroad so it’s looking forward to taking part in the new development.
Golden Valley is the first of its kind in the UK
Adam Brady, Executive Director at HBD, said Golden Valley is the first development of its kind to be delivered in the UK.
HBD executive director Adam Brady said that Golden Valley is the first development of this kind to come to the UK. The project is, he added, central to the government’s Cyber and Technology strategy and is the basis of the UK’s plans to become a science and tech superpower by 2030.
Gloucestershire is a cyber business hub
Gloucestershire has the largest number of cyber firms outside of London, making Cheltenham an ideal place to scale up the industry.
Golden Valley is a stone’s throw from the GCHQ “Doughnut” building and its location also makes it easily accessible by road and rail from Birmingham, London and Bristol. It’s also within 90 minutes of 20 UK universities so Golden Valley will attract all the right people with all the right talents.
