Gloucestershire County Council has appealed to Prime Minister Andy Burnham to urge him to back plans to create a new junction on the M5.

In a cabinet meeting last Wednesday, Cllr Julian Tooke reiterated the support for proposals to create a new junction 9A and the Ashchurch bypass.

Cllr Tooke said: ‘We have a new Prime Minister. Our new Prime Minister has been very clear that he believes that local communities should say what they want and be listened to’.

He highlighted that the county council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, and Gloucester City Council, ‘have been very clear’ that they are all in favour of the move. ‘So Andy Burnham please listen’, said Cllr Tooke.

Cllr Tooke added that housing and infrastructure must go together but emphasised that infrastructure is not cheap and requires funding.

He stressed the authorities’ eagerness to drive the scheme forward, asking: ‘please stop keeping us hanging on, it’s not fair’.

The scheme pledges to enable the development of up to 25,000 new homes at Tewkesbury Garden Communities, as well as supporting jobs, investment, and providing a minimum of 100 hectares of employment land – focusing on advanced manufacturing and defence, as well as cyber.

It requires an investment of £534,000, with the initially suggested figure of £2m having been capped by the council.

The Department for Transport said it will provide up to £700m from its roads funding, while planning to consult on reductions to the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3).

‘Please Mr Burnham put your money where your mouth is’, Cllr Tooke said, and explained that the council is ‘being cautious and sensible about spend’ until receiving confirmation that the funds will be delivered.