Representation by Cheltenham Borough Council Property & Asset Management (Cheltenham Borough Council Property & Asset Management)
- Date submitted
- 21 March 2024
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
We write on behalf of the landowners of Barn Farm to the north west of M5 Junction 10. The Barn Farm site was submitted to Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC), Gloucester City Council (GCC) and Tewkesbury Borough Council (TBC), as a potential residential and employment strategic development site through the JCS review in 2022. Discussions on the Barn Farm site are ongoing with the three authorities. The Barn Farm site and adjacent land north west of M5 Junction 10 (J10) was submitted as part of the Draft Regulation 18 Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) process. The December 2023 HELAA identifies it as potentially developable for housing and employment uses, site reference ELM011. The landowner has responded to the CBC, GCC and TBC Strategic and Local Plan (SLP) Issues and Options Consultation document published in December 2023 confirming that the site could accommodate a range of uses on site, be accessible by public transport, cycling and walking and a suitable access can be provided from the A4019 Tewkesbury Road. The Barn Farm site was also submitted to the Gloucestershire County Council’s “call for sites” for its Waste Plan review. The site could provide land for a new recycling depot to serve both Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Borough, plus the potential need for further waste and highways depots for the county as a whole. The landowners are in discussion with Gloucestershire County Council as promoters for the M5 J10 scheme and are supportive of the improvements as they will enhance access to Cheltenham and surrounding area from the motorway network, support economic growth and improve connections for non-motorised users over the M5 motorway. To provide an access the potential development land at Barn Farm and adjacent land north west of M5 J10 would require a new signal controlled junction on the A4019. The junction design would be of high standard and consistent with the proposed form of junctions along the A4019 corridor to the east and the M5 J10 improvements. The junction would include pedestrian and cycle links to / from the site the opportunities for controlled pedestrian/cycle crossings. A new junction on the A4019 to serve the Barn Farm site, with the J10 highway improvements and to meet national guidance, is feasible. However, the attenuation basin 1 proposed as shown on Atkins drawing no TR010063/APP/2.9 would limit the ability to provide a junction to an appropriate standard and would not provide sufficient spacing to the improved junction 10. We would like to agree that this attenuation pond location could be reconsidered and potentially relocated to the south east on land within the same ownership. The maintenance track would also need to be relocated.