Construction work

Tender description

Cheltenham Borough Council is inviting bidders to become their development partner to deliver a mixed use development, the Golden Valley. At its heart, Cyber Central will be the UK home of cyber, digital and creative sectors arising from Cheltenham’s international reputation for leadership in this sector. With a significant development site adjacent to GCHQ in a highly accessible location with great connectivity, the opportunity exists to create a destination of global significance. ‘The Golden Valley proposes a mixed use development incorporating Cyber Central as the UK capital for Cyber excellence. It will act as a dedicated hub to inspire collaboration, growth, research and development of cyber security businesses, technology and skills. Cheltenham is already a globally recognised centre of cyber excellence being home to GCHQ, the NCSC and an extensive ecosystem of businesses, academia and talent. It is the UK’s second largest cluster of cyber business, eleven times the density than the national average. The UK cyber industry is valued at GBP 8.2 billion having doubled in the last 2 years. The project is of national significance supported by Department of International Trade. This highly accessible site adjacent to GCHQ in Cheltenham has huge development potential. It is located in the heart of the UK and anchored between existing centres of excellence and innovation such as Bristol, Oxford, Warwick, Birmingham and Cardiff. The land extends to 200 ha. A draft SPD identifies development potential of c. 3 000 homes and 2 m2 ft of commercial accommodation. Cheltenham Borough Council have acquired 45 hectares of land in the strategic allocation and will be inviting parties to bid to become the Council's Development Partner to deliver this import mixed used opportunity. The Council propose to bring this first phase forward as single development package, where it is anticipated that the successful bidder will act as master developer and bring forward the commercial space to secure the Council objectives for the project. The council can further support delivery with up to GBP 180 million on investment in housing for innovative and high-quality solutions. The opportunity is expected to be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union in May 2020. Anyone who has any queries about the project should contact Avison Young at goldenvalley.uk@avisonyoung.com