The 'nationally significant' upgrade of junction 10 of the
M5 remains viable despite rising costs, with Gloucestershire County Council
pledging additional funding to plug a gap.
The major project, granted development consent by the government in June 2025, is set to provide access in all directions on and off
the motorway to the north west of Cheltenham – unlocking access to
both the 4,115-home
Elms Park development and the £1 billion Golden Valley project.
A package of funding for the scheme – from the council
through the government's Housing Infrastructure Fund along with developer
contributions – was approved in the last financial year, but costs have since
risen to £363 million, creating a gap of £110 million.
Councillors agreed to increase funding for the project by
£40 million at a meeting this September 2025, according to Carmelo Garcia,
local democracy reporter.
The additional funding will consist of £20 million from
council capital receipts linked to landholdings in north-west Cheltenham; and another £20 million from developer contributions through its Community Infrastructure
Levy.
But the authority needs another £70 million from Homes
England, which will be requested via an amendment to an existing agreement, to
cover the overall costs.
Finance, assets and transformation cabinet member, Colin Hay, said at the meeting: 'It has been a real difficult challenge to get the
funding.
'It has been delayed and the costs have gone up. There was a
very real risk that it might not go forward because Homes England couldn’t and
possibly wouldn’t fund that gap entirely.'
Thanking the senior officers, leaders and district
councils which worked together to help pool the £40 million, he added: 'In
effect, we’ve pulled it off.'
But cabinet member for economic development, planning and
infrastructure, Julian Tooke, reminded councillors that 'Homes England have not
made a firm commitment yet on the additional money'.
He said: 'We should make a call to this government, if they
are serious about jobs, if they are serious about homes, they should be backing
this.
'We need to say that very clearly, we are doing what the government has asked us for.'
