A decision on part of the £1.4bn Golden Valley Development (GVD) is imminent.

An extraordinary meeting has been scheduled for July 4 so Cheltenham councillors can debate the landmark scheme.

The planning committee will consider an application for the West Cheltenham Southern Parcel.

No further details have been revealed so far but an agenda is expected to be published a week before the meeting. Whatever the outcome, it will be a milestone moment for the project.

There have been four separate outline applications to Cheltenham Borough Council for the project and all are still to be determined.

Yesterday (June 3) a new masterplan was revealed bringing the different sections together.

If they are all built, it will create around 1million sq ft of prime commercial space , 3,700 homes and 12,000 jobs for the area.

It is hoped that once complete, it will be one of Europe's largest purpose-built tech campus' and will play a crucial role in achieving the UK's ambition to be a Science and Tech Superpower by 2030.

The entire site is allocated for commercial-led development as part of the West Cheltenham portion of the Joint Core Strategy (JCS) agreed between Cheltenham Borough, Tewkesbury Borough and Gloucester City Councils in 2017.

The idea for GVD was born the same year after Cheltenham Borough Council stepped in to purchase land near GCHQ that might otherwise have been bought by a volume housebuilder.

It appointed HBD, part of Henry Boot, as its planning partner in 2022.

In October 2022 an outline application 22/01817/OUT was submitted to Cheltenham Borough Council by St Modwen and MLPL (a property development arm of Severn Trent Water Limited) for 68 hectares of land to the South of Old Gloucester Road. The proposal comprises 1,100 homes which would include retirement/extra care accommodation, a community hub, primary school, children's nursery, sports pitches and open spaces.

In November 2023 two outline planning applications  were submitted by HBD. The first 23/01874/OUT is for the new residential neighbourhood on the 19.3 hectare northern parcel of land and the other 23/01875/OUT for the employment zone on the 27 hectare southern parcel. It would also include 576 homes.

In August 2024 a fourth application  24/01268/OUT was submitted by NEMA Golden Valley Limited for a 11.4 hectare plot which sits centrally within the wider West Cheltenham JCS allocation. It proposes 37,560sqm of business space, 2,475sqm of retail space, 3,750sqm of food and drink venues, 365 homes, a 727sqm healthcare centre and a 8,972sqm transport hub.

HBD is currently preparing to submit a detailed planning submission for the first phase of the GVD which will include the 60,000 sq ft IDEA Innovation Centre.

Last month it held a public showcase revealing details for the second phase . A key element will be two I/O buildings (signifying 'input' and 'output') which will provide space for leaders and innovators to work together: