Cheltenham Borough Council’s the Golden Valley Development (GVD) has announced that HBD X Factory, a joint venture between UK property developer Henry Boot Developments (HBD) and the international innovation campus developer Factory has been selected as its preferred development partner to assist in delivering the GBP1 billion (USD1.38 billion) first phase of the project located in Cheltenham at the heart of the UK’s Cyber community.

The overall Golden Valley Development, which will span over 200 hectares, will provide 3,700 new homes, almost 12,000 new jobs and 2 million sq ft of commercial space with Cyber Central UK at the heart of this thriving innovative campus for cyber and digital technologies. 

The developer search was led by strategic real estate advisor, Avison Young. Construction for the Golden Valley Development will employ new, innovative methods to deliver above current building requirements with reduced energy and carbon impact for both the residential and commercial buildings. In addition, the infrastructure will consider smart technology solutions advancing the development in terms of mobility, biodiversity and resilience. 

The Golden Valley Development is planning to reach a contract close with the preferred developer in Q1 2022, with a planning application to follow later in 2022, leading to the start of construction and completion of the first phases.