Gloucestershire Councils Team up for Tech

Two Gloucestershire councils agree to a land swap enabling plans to build a hub for start-ups.

18:03 26 October 2019

Cheltenham Borough Council has swapped a land with Gloucestershire County Council to enable plans of building a hub for young entrepreneurs and the local creative sector. The project, which received £500,000 from the Local Enterprise Partnership funding, was awarded to Workshop Group, which will be using shipping containers in building the hub. The developer has confirmed that it will include a 300-seat arts venue, an art gallery and shops.

 

Mark Sheldon, the project sponsor at Cheltenham Borough Council said:” It’s bringing together like-minded people who often leave Cheltenham and go to bigger places, or other places that are perceived to be perhaps more creative.”

 

“This is hopefully going to reverse this historical trend.”  

 

“Typically within this sector are young people who are starting up creative industries, historically they are often working from very small offices, or within bedrooms in homes. 

 

“What this will do is bring them all together and provide a support network.”

 

Rowena Hay, cabinet member for finance, said: “We’ve done it over a five-year period with a land swap, with no money changing hands – an equivalent monetary value to the car park.”

 

“It is an investment as well for the council so we will receive, as their success grows, an income from it.