Plans for new M5 Junction near Tewkesbury dropped by government
Local leaders have criticised the decision to remove the M5 and A46 plan from the national roads programme
Plans for a new M5 junction and a re-routed section of the A46 near Tewkesbury have been removed from the government's national roads programme.
Gloucestershire County Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council have described the decision as deeply disappointing.
The councils say the Department for Transport has said the plan has been removed from the Major Road Network and Large Local Majors Programme.
They say it is also not currently being considered as part of a future Road Investment Strategy.
What the plan would have done
The plan proposed a new M5 Junction 9a and a re-routed section of the A46, designed to improve journey reliability.
The councils say it would also have supported future housing and employment growth around Tewkesbury.
They say it would have helped the transport network cope with increasing demand and reduced pressure on M5 Junction 9 and the A46 through Ashchurch.
The councils also say it would have supported better walking, cycling and public transport links.
Reaction from Gloucestershire County Council
Cllr Lisa Spivey, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: "This is an extremely short-sighted and deeply disappointing decision by the government. Gloucestershire has been left waiting for months for clarity, only to be told that a scheme of enormous importance to our residents, businesses and future prosperity will not move forward."
She said: "The government cannot continue to demand that areas such as ours deliver significant numbers of new homes while refusing to invest in the infrastructure needed to support them. Housing growth without the roads, public transport, and active travel connections to serve it is neither responsible nor sustainable."
Cllr Spivey said: "It also fails to recognise the wider strategic importance of the A46. This is not merely a local road scheme. It is a key economic corridor connecting the South West and the Midlands, supporting freight, businesses and access to employment across a much wider area."
Reaction from Tewkesbury Borough Council
Cllr Richard Stanley, leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: "There was a clear and compelling case for investment in this scheme. It would have supported major housing growth, opened access to employment land and helped attract investment in strategically important sectors, including advanced manufacturing and defence."
He said: "This decision risks undermining the Government's own objectives for growth. It constrains Gloucestershire's ability to deliver future housing and employment opportunities that are being developed with the support of the government's own agencies and departments."
Cllr Stanley said: "We will be seeking urgent discussions with government to challenge the basis of this decision, understand how ministers intend to support the growth they expect from this area and press for a credible alternative route to funding."
Government response
The government said in July that it remains committed to protecting funding for local authorities to mend potholes and repair their roads.
It also said it is protecting investment in rail infrastructure, and that it will not impact bus or rail services.