A major step forward has been taken in delivering Cheltenham's £1 billion Golden Valley development, with outline planning permission granted for its first phase.
Cheltenham Borough Council's developer partner HBD has secured permission for its mixed-use development at the Golden Valley, comprising flexible commercial and community space, hundreds of new homes, a mobility hub and other associated infrastructure and landscaping.
Outline permission for the council-owned 'southern parcel' of land at the site known as West Cheltenham, to the west of GCHQ, was granted at an extraordinary meeting of the council's planning committee on Friday 4 July 2025.
Plans for the site include the core of the project's 'internationally significant' cyber innovation district, centred around its landmark IDEA Innovation Centre and recently revealed I/O Buildings.
In all, it includes up to 125,698 square metres of flexible commercial and community space – covering business, retail, food and drink, healthcare, recreation, learning and local community use – and 576 new homes, a proposed 26 per cent of which will be affordable housing.
It is one of four separate outline applications which make up the entire Golden Valley development – with the other three currently under consideration consisting of a second from HBD for 443 homes and flexible non-residential space on its northern parcel; another from St Modwen and MLPL for 1100 dwellings and a flexible mixed-use area; and one from NEMA Golden Valley Limited for mixed-use development, comprising business, community and residential space.
The project will be completed in phases, with further applications for specific elements of each development to follow outline approval.
Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson convened a letter of support for the project from members of the Cheltenham MP and Business Network ahead of the meeting, urging the borough council and Gloucestershire County Council to work closely together to bring the development forward 'as soon as possible'.
Posting the letter to LinkedIn, he wrote: 'I feel very strongly that this development is of central importance to our town's future prosperity and that it is the right thing to do for our nation's economy and defence, too.'
Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the applicants, planning consultant Matthew Robinson said: ‘This is a once-in-a-generation, multi-million-pound investment in cyber and advanced technology industries, right here in Cheltenham.
‘It has the potential to secure GCHQ’s presence in the town for another 50 years; to create, grow and attract new high-calibre businesses; and create well-paid, high-skilled jobs.
‘It strengthens not just the local economy, but our national resilience as well’.
