Councils agree £6.6 million funding opportunities for infrastructure projects and approve £4 million for M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme

At a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Joint Committee meeting last week (Wednesday, 4 February), councillors ringfenced around £6.6 million funding for local strategic infrastructure projects – and confirmed £4,054,141 to support Gloucestershire County Council’s M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme.     

CIL is a charge that councils can adopt to help fund infrastructure, such as roads and community facilities, needed to support growth. The CIL Joint Committee includes councillors from Cheltenham Borough, Tewkesbury Borough, and Gloucester City councils.      

Applications for funding for infrastructure projects will open in the spring, inviting bids from parish and town councils, community groups, and partners such as the Environment Agency.     

Organisations will be able to make bids for both strategic infrastructure and local strategic infrastructure projects which meet specific criteria. Eligible schemes could include transport improvements, shared flood defences, health facilities, and improvements to parks and sports facilities that are accessible to the local community. 

The bid process will set out clear requirements and use strong assessment criteria to ensure the limited funding is appropriately directed. More information about the funding bid process will be shared in the coming months.      

Councillor Richard Stanley, Leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council, and Chair of the CIL Joint Committee, said: “We’re delighted to have around £6.6 million available to support local strategic infrastructure projects across the CIL areas. Further information on the funding requirements and criteria, as well as how bids can be made, will be shared soon.    

“The latest funding confirmation for improvements to the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme reinforces our strong commitment to supporting both our communities and local businesses. With the county council now having secured an additional £71.5 million from government for the scheme, we’re pleased to continue to support it with CIL funding. It marks another important step in driving economic growth and bringing new opportunities to our area and the wider region.”    

Cllr Julian Tooke, Gloucestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Business, Economic Development, Planning and Infrastructure, said: “This is a fantastic example of true partnership working. Four councils have come together, in the best interests of the people of Gloucestershire, to help bring this project over the line.   

“We are enormously grateful for the contributions made by Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucester City Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council, whose support has been instrumental in moving the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme forward.”   

During January, the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme secured £71.5m additional funding from UK Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, administered by Homes England. Further funding for the scheme had already been secured from a range of sources to date, including contributions from: UK Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, administered by Homes England; district council Community Infrastructure Levy funding; Gloucestershire County Council; and S106 contributions from developers whose sites will directly benefit from the scheme.    

Funding for the M5 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme will be made available to the county council as the project progresses. Preparation work for the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme began over the summer and will continue to ensure construction can begin in 2026.   

The CIL Joint Committee also confirmed that 75 per cent of its pooled Infrastructure Fund will continue to be ringfenced to support Gloucestershire County Council and the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme.    

The remaining 25 per cent of unallocated funding will be reserved for local strategic infrastructure projects – such community-built facilities, sporting facilities, and parks and green spaces infrastructure projects – that support development of the relevant local authority’s area.      

Further information and full reports are available to view on Tewkesbury Borough Council’s website: tewkesbury.gov.uk/councillors-and-committees.       

Read the news story from Gloucestershire County Council to find out more about the £71.5 million government funding for the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme.    

The £4,054,141 funding for the M5 Junction 10 Improvement Scheme is part of the CIL Joint Committee’s in-principle £20 million commitment made in September 2025 and is in addition to £10 million agreed in March 2025. This allocation is the second amount allocated against the in-principle £20 million. To date, with the allocation of £4,448,369.66 on 25 September 2025 and £4,054,141 in February 2026, as set out above; this sees the total CIL funding allocation for the M5 project rise to £18,502,510.   

During January, the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme secured £71.5m additional funding from UK Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, administered by Homes England. Further funding for the scheme had already been secured from a range of sources to date, including contributions from: UK Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, administered by Homes England; district council Community Infrastructure Levy funding; Gloucestershire County Council; and S106 contributions from developers whose sites will directly benefit from the scheme.