Construction of the first phase of Cheltenham's £1 billion Golden Valley development in officially underway this July 2026, with the majority of space at its 'nationally significant' cyber innovation centre already filled.
Golden Valley stakeholders, including representatives of Cheltenham Borough Council, developer partner HBD, GCHQ, and contractor Bowman + Kirkland, were onsite to celebrate the milestone as the first spades broke ground.
The project team says the start of construction marks 'a major new chapter' for the town and wider region, bringing forward new workspace, jobs, homes, green space, skills opportunities and community infrastructure.
The first phase includes the development's central cyber and tech hub, IDEA, which is set to play a role in growing UK cyber and defence innovation, as underlined in the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
The sustainably designed, 160,000 sq ft building will bring together government, academia and growing security technology companies in one place, 'clustering expertise' in fast-growing sectors including AI, quantum technologies, defence tech and communications.
And the project team has revealed on 13 July 2026 that 68 per cent of space inside IDEA is already reserved.
It is also set to include an integrated Skills Hub, providing training programmes and career pathway guidance, with its construction scheduled for completion in early 2028.
The other element of phase one is ROUTER, a transport hub that will support sustainable travel across the development, with cycling facilities, e-bike charging, real-time transport information, 453 parking spaces, and retail and leisure amenities for occupiers, residents and the wider community.
Golden Valley's wider 'Garden Community' vision will also include sustainable new homes, employment space, a new primary school and a range of amenities, with 60 per cent of land being dedicated to open green space.
Once complete, Golden Valley is expected to create 12,000 jobs, help grow Gloucestershire’s tech output to £2.7 billion and generate an additional £151 million in local spend.
Hamer Boot, managing director at HBD, said: 'Reaching the point where Golden Valley is now a live construction site is a major achievement and reflects the strength of collaboration between the public and private sector partners involved in bringing this project forward.
'Phase one is an important first step in creating a world-class cyber and technology campus. It will drive significant investment, provide new workspaces, support employment opportunities and deliver the infrastructure needed for businesses, researchers and innovators to locate, collaborate and grow here.'
Councillor Rowena Hay, leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, added: 'This is a nationally significant development, but its impact will be felt very locally. Golden Valley is about creating opportunity for local people through new jobs, affordable homes, school programmes, skills partnerships and initiatives such as the recently launched University of Gloucestershire’s Golden Valley scholarship.
'We want more people across the county to see a future for themselves in cyber, technology and innovation.'
