IMPROVEMENTS to a motorway near Worcester are a step nearer as a key milestone is reached to cope with extra traffic ahead of new houses being built.

The improvement scheme is proposed to take place on the M5 at junction 10 (Cheltenham) and aims to ensure there is enough capacity on the highway to cater for new houses and increased job opportunities.

National Highways has also identified that significant growth planned for this area would require improvements to M5 Junction 10 to maintain the safe and efficient operation of the M5 corridor.

The proposals will see 'significant improvements' to the junction and a new road linking Junction 10 to West Cheltenham and a widening of the A4019 Tewkesbury Road.

Gloucestershire County Council’s proposed M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme has reached a further major milestone, following acceptance of their application for development consent by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State.

Having been approved by the Planning Inspectorate as meeting the standards required to be accepted for examination, the council’s application will now enter the third stage of the national infrastructure planning process known as pre-examination.

During this next stage, the public can register with the Planning Inspectorate to share their views of the planning application in writing.

An inspector is also appointed, who will run and chair a preliminary meeting to which all interested parties will be invited. Although there is no statutory timescale for this stage of the process, it usually takes approximately three months from the applicant’s formal notification and publicity of an accepted application.

The scheme is being funded through the council’s successful bid to UK Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), administered by Homes England. If planning is approved, the transformative infrastructure project will significantly upgrade the existing M5 Junction 10.

The improved junction will provide access in all directions on and off the motorway. In turn, this will unlock housing and employment opportunities at sites proposed for development, including west and north-west Cheltenham. The scheme also includes a new link road connecting the A4019 to the B4634 in west Cheltenham and widening of the A4019 Tewkesbury Road.

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Cllr David Gray, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, said: “We’re thrilled that the Planning Inspectorate has accepted our application for development consent for the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme. Reaching this key milestone takes us another step further in the planning process and is testament to the thorough and hard work of the project team involved in progressing the scheme.”

An all-movements junction has been identified as a key infrastructure requirement needed to enable the housing and economic development proposed by the Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership's Strategic Economic Plan