With Matt Bellshaw, Lead Director for Golden Valley and Operations Board Director at developer HBD and Councillor Alisha Lewis, Cabinet Member for Major Development and Housing Delivery, Cheltenham Borough Council, 

A 200-hectare piece of land in West Cheltenham in the shadow of GCHQ is set to host the biggest thing to happen to Cheltenham since GCHQ or the racecourse. Maybe, even bigger.

The Golden Valley development has been a while in gestation, but recent months have seen significant progress in terms of planning applications and commercial discussions. Bowmer and Kirkland have been appointed as contractors for the first phase, including IDEA, the National Cyber Innovation Centre, and work is expected to start by mid 2026.

We recently sat down with Matt and Alisha Lewis to learn more.

Matt’s 20 years’ experience in development includes leading some major projects in Scotland, where he gained a reputation for problem solving and building long term partnerships. He has led HBD’s Golden Valley project team since 2022.

Councillor Lewis previously held the finance and climate cabinet roles. She is now responsible for several major developments, of which Golden Valley is the largest.

While nothing is ever plain sailing, both she and Matt are genuinely excited and optimistic about Golden Valley, not just in its own right but for what it can bring to Cheltenham and the wider region.

And it is easy to underestimate how large, complex and ambitious this project is. It would have been much more straightforward to build a “typical” business or residential development. But the aim is “world class.” One of the key reasons for appointing HBD was their long-term vision for Golden Valley to become wholly part of Cheltenham, blending cutting-edge technology with the town’s existing character while fostering a sense of community and belonging. As Matt says, “to be of Cheltenham, not simply in Cheltenham.”

It will include green spaces, new travel corridors, event and leisure facilities as well as cutting edge commercial spaces designed to encourage collaboration as well as offer excellent amenities. To see more, use the link below.

The original intent was for it to be the UK’s “cyber security capital” – a logical ambition given its location in the shadow of GCHQ. Now however, it is to become home to a wide array of enterprises providing vital protection and security for technologies that are critical to running infrastructure, food systems, defence and communications. It will embrace AI, quantum computing and other emerging technologies. Ultimately, it will make Cheltenham the leader in secure technologies, helping to keep the whole country safer.

It will be a hotbed for innovations, where start-ups and established players from the private sector, government and academia can collaborate, fast-track and scale.

Cheltenham’s location, heritage, culture, schools and existing tech ecosystem make it hugely attractive for firms looking to move here – and for their people. With significant parts of the first building already spoken for, and existing strong demand, availability may become limited quickly. HBD would encourage people to get in touch to learn more about IDEA, and indeed what will follow.

What about the opportunities for the local community? The potential is huge. The development and its tenants will create a significant supply chain for good and services of all kinds – from construction, catering and cleaning to HR, marketing and professional services. HBD and the Borough Council want to ensure that local businesses benefit.

The town will start to see more communications about the project as we get nearer the start date. “Meet the Buyer” events will enable local businesses to understand more about the procurement process and the Chamber, along with BID, Cynam et al aim to be helpful conduits between the project and local business.

Social Value has been considered from the outset and sustainability is at the heart of the design. Business tenants will be expected to take part in a social charter which commits them not just to local sourcing but also to support local apprenticeships and education initiatives, especially those which benefit some of Cheltenham’s less well-off areas.

HBD themselves have led the way with projects supporting local schools, encouraging children to gain hands-on experience of the technologies that will play an ever-bigger role in their futures.

Many of them may well end up helping to create what Matt and Alisha believe will be a Golden Age for Cheltenham.

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