Summary

On Tuesday 10th August we were granted planning consent to build a new motorway service area between junctions 11a and 12 of the M5, north and southbound.

The partnership

Gloucestershire Gateway Trust is a charity, set up in 2007 by Mark Gale, a former UK Social Entrepreneur of the Year. He identified the opportunity for an MSA on this site, seeing it as an opportunity to create a sustainable annual income for local communities as well as a business which through its unique operation will bring significant local benefit. Having identified the opportunity, the trust then sought a commercial partner which would embrace its objectives.

Regeneration benefits

One of the main aims of the project is to bring benefit to local communities.

Financial support local communities

As part of the partnership agreement £10 million will be distributed over 20 years to support voluntary and community organisations in Gloucestershire, with at least 90% being invested in the target area – the rural wards of Stonehouse (and its GL10 hinterland), Upton St Leonards and the urban wards of Matson, Robinswood, Podsmead and Tufley. A rolling 5 year Community Impact plan will be formulated in order to

The plans

The design masterplan has been landscape and visually led and is founded on best practice in landscape architecture, architecture and sustainable development.

The result is a design proposal which is sympathetic to its environment, of high quality design, with a strong identity and sense of place.

Site, layout and landscape

Sustainable development

A further important aim of the overall MSA proposal is to achieve a number of sustainable development objectives:

• an 80% cut in energy compared with a traditional MSA

• at least a 20% improvement over Part L2A 2006

• 10% of its energy from on site renewable technologies

• an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating

Water