On 4th June 2025, Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State for Transport, approved an ambitious scheme by Gloucester Highways to improve M5 Junction 10. This important decision, called a Development Consent Order (DCO), will result in a significant upgrade of Junction 10 to allow full access for northbound and southbound traffic. The decision also includes an upgrade of the eastbound A4019 Tewkesbury Road into Cheltenham, from Junction 10 to Hayden Road (the B4634) near Sainsbury’s.

The M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme is seen as vital to help encourage necessary new housing developments to support significant business development in the region. The Joint Core Strategy (JCS) targets 35,000 new homes and almost 40,000 new jobs. Work has commenced on the scheme and is due to be completed in 2028.

Following this decision and the projected construction start date, Bloor Homes has submitted a planning application for a new access junction on the north side of the upgraded Tewkesbury Road, serving land earmarked for development. This will allow the final design of the M10 upgrade, and more specifically the Tewkesbury Road improvements to incorporate the proposed access junction design.

One of the main criticisms that members of the public have about major infrastructure developments is a lack of coordination – no sooner has a new road been built than someone comes along to dig it up. This access application aims to prevent such problems and minimise disruption for local residents by coordinating the simultaneous delivery of both the road improvements and the access junction.