Final plans submitted for Golden Valley project

The final planning application for an office and commercial space at the Golden Valley development in Cheltenham has been submitted.

It is hoped the £1bn project will eventually see thousands of homes and 10,000 jobs created, but it has been set back by delays.

Cheltenham's MP, Max Wilkinson, said: "There's going to be loads of really good jobs in cyber, in tech, focusing on some of those things that are going to be the technologies of the future."

The project is being led by HBD, part of development company Henry Boot, and will provide space for research and development. It is also hoped will secure the long term future of GCHQ in Cheltenham.

The scheme will also bring about improvements to junction 10 of the M5, which will provide access in all directions on and off the motorway.

At the moment vehicles can only get on northbound and exit southbound.

"This is going to be close to GCHQ, making sure that we're building on Cheltenham's unique selling point, and bringing thousands and thousands of extra jobs to our town," Wilkinson added.

"This is absolutely key to the long-term prosperity of Cheltenham and I'm really pleased that the county and borough councils, and HBD, have got to this stage in the development."

He added: "I'm expecting that there will be really important and impressive tech and cyber companies coming to take space in this section of the development."

Building work is due to start this summer.

It is hoped the entire project will be fully completed in 2035.

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