Cheltenham Borough Council has said no to becoming a proposed Investment Zone.

It was asked by Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) to back its Express Of Interest to central government.

But along with Stroud District Council it has rejected propoals to relax of planning rules to accelerate development.

Launched on Friday the bid names two Investment Zones in the county.

The Central Gloucestershire City Region Investment Zone contains four sites- the Golden Valley Development and Elms Park in Cheltenham, Tewkesbury Garden Town and Gloucestershire Airport. The other is a 65-hectare site in Berkley, Stroud which sits around a former nuclear power station.

Cllr Max Wilkinson, Cheltenham cabinet member for Economic Development, Culture, Tourism and Wellbeing, said: "We are not supporting a bid for an Investment Zone within the borough because we are concerned that the dilution of planning rules would allow would allow lower standards of placemaking and environmental performance and these points are key to our vision of the Golden Valley development."

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities has previously said that any bid without the consent of the local planning authority would fail.

Plans for Investment Zones were announced by former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as part of his mini-budget in September. The scheme is aimed at driving growth and unlocking housing by lowering taxes and liberalising planning frameworks.

Benefits would include 100 per cent relief from Business Rates and Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for land or buildings bought for the use or development for commercial purposes, and for purchases of land or buildings for residential developers. They would also get prioritised infrastructure funding.

Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk said he is "surprised and disappointed" by Cheltenham councillors blocking plans for Cheltenham's cyber park to become an economic investment zone.

He said: "It is, I'm afraid, an act of strategic self-harm which damages our town's economic prospects."

He said the Investment Zones presented a "golden opportunity" to accelerate the vision for the park- which he said he dreamt up in 2014 before he was elected

Stroud District Council has also said no to its Investment Zone. Councillors claim it has successful blocked the bid for Berkeley  by not lending the plan its support.

Cllr Ken Tucker, leader of SDC Liberal Democrat Group, said the Secretary of State, Simon Clarke, has assured them its support as the Local Planning Authority was "critical" to the bids success and without it the plans would not be able to progress.

Responding to the claims the bid has been blocked a spokesperson for GCC said: "The bid to government has gone in. Government will consider this in due course, but it has been submitted."