Plans to create a new 'town', described as a dormitory satellite of Cheltenham for more than 9,000 residents, on land next to the M5 have been approved this May 2025.
The building of 4,115 homes, a ten-hectare business park, schools and community facilities off the A4019 Tewkesbury Road near Uckington was green lit by the planning committees of both Cheltenham Borough Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council this week, according to local democracy reporter Carmelo Garcia.
Planning consent for the development, known as the Elms Park, has been under consideration since 2016, with applicant the Elms Park Consortium, led by housebuilders Bloor Homes and Persimmon, describing approval this week as 20 years in the making.
The 530-acre site lies outside of Cheltenham's green belt and is within an area of land allocated for development in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury’s joint planning strategy, with the new homes counting towards Cheltenham's government-set housing requirement.
The developers anticipate that the scheme will generate up to £300 million a year for the local economy, provide 1,000 affordable homes and see up to 4,000 jobs created, including 30 apprenticeships per year during construction — which is expected in phases over the next 20 years.
Of the 4,115 homes, 35 per cent will be affordable and will include at least 200 bungalows or ground floor maisonettes, along with retirement and care accommodation.
Around £50 million will be spent on providing new schools, including a secondary school and two primary schools on site; and £25 million will be spent on community infrastructure, including a GP healthcare centre, neighbourhoods and community centres.
There are also plans for a new sports hub on site, containing facilities for cricket, football, tennis and an all-weather 3G pitch, while contributions to local rugby and hockey clubs will be made as part of the scheme.
And a transport hub with a 350-space park and ride interchange with new bus services and electric vehicle charging stations, along with 'tens of kilometres' of new cycleways and footpaths, will also be created.
The consortium will also make a 'significant contribution' to Gloucestershire County Council's M5 junction 10 project — which includes improvements to the junction, a new road linking to west Cheltenham and widening of the A4019 — amid concerns about traffic resulting from the scheme, with a condition also in place to limit the number of houses which can be built until phases of junction 10 are completed.
