Gloucestershire County Council is celebrating a major funding boost, following the decision by government to commit to providing an additional £71.5m towards the “transformative” M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme.

This investment will allow the council to move ahead with vital transport upgrades at the junction near Cheltenham that will unlock homes, jobs and investment. Completion of the scheme will:

• Enable the delivery of more than 20,000 new homes - including over 7,000 that are affordable
• Support the Golden Valley development and the National Cyber Innovation Centre and technology cluster, including the creation of around 12,000 skilled jobs for local people
• Build on the successful delivery of the £33m Arle Court Transport Hub

Development consent for the scheme was granted by the Secretary of State for Transport in June 2025.

Julian Tooke, cabinet member for business, economic development, planning and infrastructure at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Securing this additional Government funding is a turning point for Gloucestershire. The delivery of the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme is a catalyst for transformational growth and opportunity in the region, driving future investment and prosperity. I’m grateful to Homes England and our partners for their support and confidence in this essential infrastructure.”

The newly confirmed £71.5m is additional funding from government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, administered by Homes England, and will bridge the gap to deliver the full improvements.

Funding for the scheme had already been secured from a range of sources to date, including contributions from: government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, administered by Homes England; district council Community Infrastructure Levy funding; Gloucestershire County Council and S106 contributions from developers whose sites will directly benefit from the scheme.

Gloucestershire County Council is leading delivery of the scheme in collaboration with National Highways and other partners. Weather-dependant preparation works began in autumn 2025, to avoid rising costs and keep the project on track. These early site works are being carried out by appointed contractor Galliford Try.

With the additional funding now in place, the council and its partners will finalise delivery arrangements and continue preparation works for the start of the main construction phase in autumn 2026.