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Split decision for GCHQ
00:00 05 Aug 1998
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by Paul Donovan
Two Cheltenham-based campaign groups have split in support of separate property developers vying to win the Private Finance Initiative deal to build a new headquarters for the Government spy base GCHQ
The two bids to build the base from the Oakley Partnership - led by the Symonds Group and the GSI consortium - consisting of Group 4, Tarmac and BT, have both been given outline planning permission by Cheltenham Council. In June, GCHQ reduced the original applications down from four to the GSI and Voluntary Partnership proposals.
The GSI proposal involves building a round office complex at nearby Benhall that would also include a supermarket and 500 houses located at Oakley.
The Oakley Partnership would build an H-shaped office block and parking for 1,500 cars at Oakley with 40 houses being built on the nearby greenfield site. There is also an industrial park and 750 homes to be constructed at Benhall under the Oakley Partnership proposal.
Des Fry of the Oakley Development Residents' Action Group said: "For GCHQ to remain at Oakley would be the lesser of two evils. We don't want a large supermarket with 500 homes built so the Oakley Partnership proposal would be more favourable."
He added: "The decision is up to GCHQ now that final outline planning permission has been granted by the council. As residents all we can do is lobby the two developers for concessions in their plans."
The opposite viewpoint was put forward by Jo Grinster of Cheltenham Friends of the Earth. "We are very concerned as an environmental group at the loss of open space in an area of outstanding natural beauty. There is just not the traffic infrastructure at the Oakhill site," she said.
"The plan for Benhill is an imaginative proposal given that there is already a traffic infrastructure in the area and plans for cycle and bus routes."
"The Benhill development proposal has a more integrated approach to transport while the Oakley development lacks infrastructure and will take over three fields," she added.
A spokesman for GCHQ said: "The situation now is that there are two preferred bidders, GSL and Oakley Partnership and there will be a decision made toward the end of the year."
Two Cheltenham-based campaign groups have split in support of separate property developers vying to win the Private Finance Initiative deal to build a new headquarters for the Government spy base GCHQ
The two bids to build the base from the Oakley Partnership - led by the Symonds Group and the GSI consortium - consisting of Group 4, Tarmac and BT, have both been given outline planning permission by Cheltenham Council. In June, GCHQ reduced the original applications down from four to the GSI and Voluntary Partnership proposals.
The GSI proposal involves building a round office complex at nearby Benhall that would also include a supermarket and 500 houses located at Oakley.
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The Oakley Partnership would build an H-shaped office block and parking for 1,500 cars at Oakley with 40 houses being built on the nearby greenfield site. There is also an industrial park and 750 homes to be constructed at Benhall under the Oakley Partnership proposal.
Des Fry of the Oakley Development Residents' Action Group said: "For GCHQ to remain at Oakley would be the lesser of two evils. We don't want a large supermarket with 500 homes built so the Oakley Partnership proposal would be more favourable."
He added: "The decision is up to GCHQ now that final outline planning permission has been granted by the council. As residents all we can do is lobby the two developers for concessions in their plans."
The opposite viewpoint was put forward by Jo Grinster of Cheltenham Friends of the Earth. "We are very concerned as an environmental group at the loss of open space in an area of outstanding natural beauty. There is just not the traffic infrastructure at the Oakhill site," she said.
"The plan for Benhill is an imaginative proposal given that there is already a traffic infrastructure in the area and plans for cycle and bus routes."
"The Benhill development proposal has a more integrated approach to transport while the Oakley development lacks infrastructure and will take over three fields," she added.
A spokesman for GCHQ said: "The situation now is that there are two preferred bidders, GSL and Oakley Partnership and there will be a decision made toward the end of the year."
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