More than 500 homes to be built at £1bn cyber hub

Plans for the second stage of the cyber hub have been approved

Plans for the second stage of a £1bn cyber security centre near GCHQ in Gloucestershire have been approved.

Under the proposals, 576 homes will be built at the Golden Valley development, which will create "thousands of jobs", property developers HBD said.

Some of Cheltenham Borough Council's councillors questioned the amount of affordable homes and the reduced financial contributions for the improvements of Junction 10 of the M5.

Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson who supports the scheme said: "It's an investment in our town's human capital and a commitment to securing its position as a national leader in a critical industry".

"The projected £1bn in investment and promise of thousands of jobs underscores the scale of this opportunity and its capacity to deliver long-term economic benefits for local residents," he added.

He said the proposals present "a unique chance for Cheltenham to play a leading role in the nation's economic growth and strategic defence.

GCHQ is the UK's intelligence agency focusing on communications data and areas such as cyber crime and infiltrating hidden messaging networks and works in conjunction with MI5 and MI6.

HBD told the meeting that the development is a "once-in-a-generation multi-million pound" project and had "the potential to secure GCHQ's presence in the town for another 50 years," according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Council officers asked for financial contributions totalling £9m and the authority would seek £3.7m for a primary school, £1.7m for motorway improvements and more than £900,000 for new bus services.

It was announced last month that development consent had been granted to a £229m project at Junction 10 of the M5 near Gloucester.

Former Cheltenham mayor Bernie Fisher said he supported the scheme in principle, but was concerned about the funding of Junction 10, which he said will fall short without HBD's extra cash boost.