Cheltenham Borough Council has applied for £20m Levelling-Up Funding, to help provide a significant boost to the delivery of its world-class National Cyber Innovation Centre (NCIC). The first phase of the £1bn Golden Valley Development, the NCIC has very high sustainability, employment and academic engagement ambitions benefitting Cheltenham and the whole of Gloucestershire.
Development partners HBD X Factory have already been engaged and consultation has begun with a view to developing plans for the site in the coming months. Cheltenham’s application – which had cross party support – included an array of letters of endorsement from GCHQ, members of Cheltenham’s cyber community, both Gloucestershire College and the University of Gloucestershire and Alex Chalk MP.
Cheltenham Borough Council Leader, Rowena Hay, said: “The development, in West Cheltenham, is right on the doorstep for students and apprentices at Gloucestershire College, All Saints’ Academy and more. This National Cyber Innovation Centre is going to be a great inspiration to the young people living in neighbouring communities and will help our No Child Left Behind priorities, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to thrive and reach their potential.”
Speaking of the development, Gloucestershire College’s Principal and Chief Executive, Matthew Burgess, said: “We have been working with Cheltenham Borough Council to use the vision of the [Golden Valley Development] to create aspiration and opportunities for local residents, especially in the more deprived areas. This has involved transforming our Cheltenham campus from a traditional FE [Further Education], focussing our Higher and Professional offer here.
Cyber is a high value field of local and national significance and to ensure future growth of this industry, the UK requires an environment that opens educational and career pathways for people, of all ages and of all backgrounds, to contribute to the sector. For Cheltenham and the wider Gloucestershire area cyber innovation is a key contributor to the local economy.
