The new Arle Court Transport Hub on the outskirts of Cheltenham will begin operation on Monday (July 29).

Phase 2 of construction - the new multi-storey car park and bus terminal - is now complete.

The £33 million Arle Court Transport Hub will transform the travel experience for residents and visitors within, to and from the west Cheltenham area, as well as those arriving from the M5 via long-distance coach travel, by providing convenient enhanced park and ride facilities.

The scheme has also been designed to offer improved sustainable travel choices and better connectivity to local active travel, reducing congestion, lowering CO2 emissions and improving air quality in the region.

The state-of-the-art facility is a key milestone in Gloucestershire County Council's ongoing efforts to deliver sustainable transport in the county. It includes:

• Expanded bus terminal: The new terminal supports reliable bus services linking Gloucester and Cheltenham hospitals and centres, making public transport a more convenient option for passengers using park and ride. The site will be served by a number of electric buses, obtained through the recent successful ZEBRA bid. More than 20% of the total Gloucestershire bus fleet will now be electric.

• New and improved passenger facilities: The transport hub includes an indoor waiting area and a covered outdoor waiting area; real-time passenger information screens; a customer information desk; and toilets, including a dedicated Changing Places toilet. Vending machines for cold drinks and snacks will also be available, with a new cafe to open in 2025.

• Additional parking: The entire transport hub will provide almost 1,000 parking spaces on-site, compared with 576 previously. This includes 860 spaces in the new four-storey car park.

• Electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints: Home to the largest contactless payment EV charging public transport hub in the UK. The multi-storey car park features 100 x 7kW EV commissioned charge points for long stay-term charging, for commuters and visitors. The car park is also futureproofed to enable the expansion of up to 266 x 7kW EV charge points as demand increases. The site has roof mounted solar PV panels to generate renewable electricity for the building and EV charging.

• New and improved active travel facilities: The transport hub provides accessible secure cycle lockers, cycle hoops, cycle maintenance tools and shower changing facilities, as well as active travel links to local cycling and walking routes.

Work began on the Arle Court Transport Hub in May 2023 at the existing Arle Court Park and Ride site. It will be the first of several county council transport hubs within the county.

Kier was awarded the construction contract for the scheme following a competitive procurement process. A further contractor, Knights Brown, has been appointed to complete the third and final phase of the scheme, which will begin later this month and is due to be completed by November.

This phase will add more surface car parking spaces to the existing west car park, dedicated coach and camper/ van parking, and further enhance the transport hub's sustainability features, including the installation of four rapid EV chargepoints.

The council has met its target of installing 100 EV chargepoints in July 2024, with public chargepoints across Gloucestershire now totalling 228.

Cllr David Gray, cabinet member for environment and planning, said: "The completion of Phase 2 of Arle Court Transport Hub is a significant milestone. The new facilities will not only make public transport and sustainable travel options more accessible, but also play a crucial role in reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality in Cheltenham and Gloucester. I would like to extend my thanks to Kier and their various sub-contractors on the scheme for delivering the construction phase considerately and to schedule."

Andy Bolas, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: "We are thrilled to be handing over this phase of works on the new Arle Court Transport Hub to Gloucestershire County Council. This state-of-the-art hub will provide a welcome boost to sustainable transport links in Cheltenham, and we look forward to seeing it being used for years to come."

The scheme is a key part of the Gloucestershire Local Transport Plan 2020-2041 and its Climate Change Strategy ULEV Strategy. It has been funded by the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), administered by Homes England, and Gloucestershire County Council.