Plans to build a new junction on the M5 and re-route a section of the A46 near Tewkesbury have ground to a halt, with the government deciding not to fund the scheme this October 2026.
After delaying its decision, The Department for Transport has now removed the M5 Junction 9 and A46 (Ashchurch) Transport Scheme from its Major Road Network and Large Local Majors Programme, so it is no longer being considered as part of the future Road Investment Strategy.
The proposed plans included creating a new M5 Junction 9a and a bypass to reduce traffic pressure on the A46 through Ashchurch and the existing M5 Junction 9, improve journey reliability, and support future housing growth around Tewkesbury.
According to Local Democracy Reporter, Carmelo Garcia, councillor Julian Tooke appealed directly to Prime Minister Andy Burnham to fund the scheme in July 2026, describing it as 'vital', but the government's decision has not gone in his favour.
Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, councillor Lisa Spivey, expressed her disappointment over the decision, saying: '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.
'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.
'While Junction 9 continues to operate, we know that future growth will place increasing pressure on the junction and the wider network. This scheme represents an opportunity to plan ahead and mitigate those longer-term impacts. This decision leaves those challenges unresolved.
'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.'
Tewkesbury Borough Council leader, councillor Richard Stanley, added: '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.
'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. This decision sends entirely the wrong signal to residents, businesses and investors who want to see our county prosper.
'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. We will continue to stand up for Gloucestershire and make the strongest possible case for the infrastructure Gloucestershire needs and deserves, because the need for this investment has not gone away.'
Local authorities have already spent millions developing the scheme and cannot fund the project themselves, so its future hangs in the balance.
