A public engagement exercise starts next week on potential route options for the M5 Junction 9 and A46 (Ashchurch) Transport Scheme.

Gloucestershire County Council is holding the engagement exercise from October 7 until December 2.

A wide variety of route options have been considered and technically assessed for suitability by the council. It now plans to share these options with stakeholders, local communities and the public during the engagement exercise.

This is the first stage of public engagement, with feedback being used to inform further options refinement and shortlisting. A preferred route option would only be identified following future public consultations.

The scheme proposes a new M5 Junction 9a near Tewkesbury and the re-routing of the existing A46 around Ashchurch to Teddington Hands roundabout. This would divert long distance traffic away from the existing A46, including heavy goods vehicles.

In turn, this would reduce traffic on the existing A46 through Ashchurch, allow local improvements for cycling and walking to take place and enhance the local environment.

In addition, the new rerouted A46 would improve journey times and road safety. The scheme would reduce queuing back to the M5 from the Junction 9 roundabout, which is currently a safety concern.

The M5 Junction 9 and A46 (Ashchurch) Transport Scheme is also essential to providing the connectivity to and unlocking the capacity for planned and proposed strategic housing and employment growth in the area. This includes the Tewkesbury Garden Communities programme, which will provide much-needed new homes and jobs in Tewkesbury.

The early stages of the scheme's development have been funded by Gloucestershire County Council, investing over £10 million to date in business case preparation, National Highways and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government), which announced awards of £1.5 million in March 2021 and a further £1.5 million in March 2022 to support the development of the scheme.

The public engagement exercise forms part of the early development of the M5 Junction J9 and A46 (Ashchurch) Transport Scheme, which will rely on securing funding from government to deliver the scheme.

At this early stage, no funding has been secured to ensure the scheme will go aha.

Cllr David Gray, cabinet member for environment and planning, said: "More than half of the traffic currently using the existing A46 through Ashchurch during peak periods is longer distance through-traffic. Our proposals would provide an alternative, more suitable route for these vehicles, especially heavy goods traffic.

"This would benefit local residents and businesses by reducing traffic volume, noise and pollution on the existing A46 through Ashchurch. The scheme will also support sustainable travel options, with the needs of walkers, cyclists and horse riders considered in the overall design, and provide essential connectivity for the proposed garden communities, boosting sustainable growth and housing supply."

A link to the online survey and details of the potential route options will be added to the M5 Junction 9 and A46 (Ashchurch) Transport Scheme webpage on Monday, October 7.

Face-to-face events will also be held at George Watson Memorial Hall (Watson Hall) on Saturday, October 19 10am - 5pm and at Northway Community Hub (Main Hall) on Wednesday, October 23 11am - 4pm, to meet the project team and find out more about the scheme.