Extra funding secured for motorway improvements

A county council has announced additional government funding for a motorway improvement scheme.

Gloucestershire County Council said an additional £71.5m had been approved for the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme, which received developmental consent in June 2025.

The scheme will see a new junction built that allows vehicles to enter and exit the M5 in both directions and other road improvements that will allow for new housing and business sites, including the National Cyber Innovation Centre.

"This crucial infrastructure upgrade will ensure not only that we keep skilled professionals in Gloucestershire, but that we are an attractive proposition," said Tewkesbury MP Cameron Thomas.

"This welcome government investment is testament to the consistent and joined-up pressure of local campaigners, Gloucestershire County Council and members of parliament, which continue to keep Gloucestershire in the government's thinking," he added.

Tens of thousands of new homes are planned as part of the wider project and the additional funding is coming from the government's Housing Infrastructure Fund, which is administered by Homes England.

"The upgrade of this junction will support thousands of new jobs in cyber and tech at the landmark west Cheltenham Golden Valley development," said Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson.

"After a lot of campaigning work in Parliament and by the local business community, I'm pleased and very relieved to have heard the good news that ministers have done the right thing by closing the funding gap," he added.

The scheme is set to be delivered by Gloucestershire County Council alongside National Highways and other partners.

The planned housing and economic construction has been included by Cheltenham Borough, Tewkesbury Borough and Gloucester City Councils in a shared strategy.

Preparation work began in autumn with a vision to the main construction phase starting in autumn of 2026.

The National Cyber Innovation Centre is just one of a number of employment centres to be built in the area.

It is hoped the completed project could bring about 12,000 new skilled jobs to the local economy.

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