A major transport scheme in Gloucestershire has reached a major milestone.

Gloucestershire County Council’s proposed M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme has been approved by the planning inspectorate.

The council’s application will now enter the third stage of the national infrastructure planning process known as pre-examination, reports the Business Desk.

During this next stage, the public can register with the Planning Inspectorate to share their views of the planning application in writing.

An inspector is also appointed, who will run and chair a preliminary meeting to which all interested parties will be invited.

Although there is no statutory timescale for this stage of the process, it usually takes approximately three months from the applicant’s formal notification and publicity of an accepted application.

The scheme is being funded through the council’s successful bid to UK Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), administered by Homes England. If planning is approved, the transformative infrastructure project will significantly upgrade the existing M5 Junction 10.

The improved junction will provide access in all directions on and off the motorway. In turn, this will unlock housing and employment opportunities at sites proposed for development, including west and north-west Cheltenham.

The scheme also includes a new link road connecting the A4019 to the B4634 in west Cheltenham and widening of the A4019 Tewkesbury Road.

David Gray, cabinet member for environment and planning at Gloucestershire CC, said: “We’re thrilled that the Planning Inspectorate has accepted our application for development consent for the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme. Reaching this key milestone takes us another step further in the planning process and is testament to the thorough and hard work of the project team involved in progressing the scheme.”