What to Expect in 2024 from Golden Valley

Author: Matt Bellshaw

It’s safe to say that Golden Valley is one of the UK’s most exciting and innovative projects right now.

With detailed designs progressing for the Innovation Centre and the grand opening pencilled in for 2026, I want to recap where we are and provide some insight into the team, our goals and ethos. 

With GCHQ nearby, the region’s approach to cybersecurity has historically been about keeping things under wraps. Golden Valley is a chance to shift this narrative while highlighting and elevating the area’s existing talent.  

Golden Valley is not only for businesses; we’re creating over a thousand new homes in a green, welcoming space with restaurants, shops, and other facilities like nurseries. A dedication to sustainability and local community is a key part of the Golden Valley vision. 

In the monthly Golden Valley newsletter, we will be sharing milestones and events as well as highlighting great people and projects from the Gloucestershire community. You can subscribe here.

From Convention to Innovation 

Some of you will have already met me at local events and community spaces such as Hub 8. This year, I’ll be around a lot more, so I’ll begin by sharing a bit more about who I am and my role in Golden Valley.

I started my career in a small surveying practice, where I got a wide range of experience working on all sorts of projects, from letting small shops below tenement flats in Glasgow to valuing entire office portfolios with development potential across the courty (and everything in between). Looking back, this was a great foundation for learning fast and finding out what type of work interested me the most. Having studied a masters course in Real Estate Development (while working as an apprentice surveyor) and ultimately becoming a Chartered Surveyor. I moved to Colliers International’s regeneration team, as the name suggests an international business.  I spent 8 years with Colliers, eventually leading the Scottish Development Consulting team and survived the financial crisis, which, although challenging, taught me many lessons in development that I still refer to now.

Having worked as a consultant for many years, I was approach to work ‘client side’ (in property development parlance) and moved to HFD Group, spending the next 6 years working on high profile market leading commercial developments with an inspiring close-knit team. Delivering the relocation of a university campus to the UK’s first speculative carbon neutral buildings on a technology park for UWS.  Working on HQ buildings for Morgan Stanley’s fintech division, Wood Group PLC’s 3 building consolidation and Glasgow largest office building, part pre-let and home to Virgin Money. At HFD I also worked on specialist space for technical research and testing for German conglomerate TUV SUD – a 320 tonne pressure testing vessel on 3m high stilts!

In 2019 I joined HBD working on projects across the UK, and I now lead the Golden Valley development. This is undoubtedly a career highlight. We’re able to work on a project which aims to support the evolution of technology, with buildings that will deliver market leading sustainability objectives critical for our industry. Last year, we submitted our outline planning applications, which will allow us in due course to submit the full detailed applications for the Innovation Centre this year. The more I learn about Cheltenham and all its potential, the more I am energised by this project.

A Love of The Wild

When I’m not in or thinking about offices, I like to get out and about in nature. Being born and brought up in Scotland. I enjoy spending time outdoors; I particularly enjoy camping and mountain biking with my family. The natural beauty on our doorstep is something we deeply value and have always made an effort to explore together. 

Before leading Golden Valley, I have to admit my knowledge of Cheltenham was limited. I knew of the region’s potential from a development and business perspective. But I’ve been delighted to discover just how beautiful this part of the world is too.

We describe Golden Valley as a ‘green space’ and ‘garden community’; this isn’t just wishful thinking. Bringing forward the development in a sustainable way is fundamental to our team and project’s vision. We adapted our plans for the Innovation Centre to preserve and celebrate existing oak trees through design, a story we’ll share more detail on soon. We hope our commitment to sustainability will demonstrate our belief in ‘the art of the possible’ building on lessons from our first Net Zero Carbon development at ‘Island’ in Manchester and helping drive the property industry in a positive direction.

When do the First Buildings Open and What are they for?

The first buildings are scheduled to open in Q3 2026 and are the Innovation Centre and the Mobility Hub. The Innovation Centre will include co-working areas similar to the existing Hub 8 space. However, this will be on a larger scale, encouraging and enabling cross-industry collaboration plus a large event space that can be used by any sector to educate and entertain. We hope to host everything from tech summits to art galleries in one beautiful space. 

The Mobility Hub will provide car parking and promote multiple forms of sustainable transport, with public transport access, bike and car-sharing facilities, EV charging stations, and secure cycle parking. It also provides local amenities like retail spaces, information services, and essential facilities for active travel, including changing rooms, showers, and lockers.

Golden Valley's is set to create around 12,000 jobs across a range of sectors and 1,000+ homes (with a 35% affordable provision). The development aims to support businesses’ need to enhance, and retain the existing talent pool in the region, as well as boosting career and skill growth opportunities for the community more widely. Companies therefore stand to benefit from a more diverse workforce, fostering innovation.

What’s next?

I am working on a piece to answer some key questions about Golden Valley, its purpose, the team behind the project, key milestones and what it means for the local community. Do you have any questions you want answered? Email me at Matt@hbd.co.uk