Arle Court Transport Hub
The Arle Court Transport Hub is now open.
If you are looking for information about the site or bus/coach services operating from there, please click here.
Following planning approval and early highway and site clearance works, work on the construction of the new Arle Court Transport Hub began in May 2023 at the existing Arle Court Park and Ride site.
The upgraded transport hub offers regular bus services to Cheltenham and Gloucester and better connections to local sustainable transport such as walking and cycling routes. It also provides a range of new and improved facilities on site.
Construction of the new multi-storey car park and bus terminal was completed in July 2024 and both are now open to the public. The final phase of works on the west car park was finished in Autumn 2024.
Improving and expanding services and facilities
The aims of the scheme are to:
- Improve connectivity within, to and from the west Cheltenham area for sustainable transport as people look for alternatives to cars.
- Improve connectivity to enable more journeys to central Cheltenham, Gloucester, the railway station, and local hospitals by sustainable modes of travel.
- Provide a regular, reliable transport solution that will reduce unnecessary car journeys into central Cheltenham.
Arle Court Transport Hub will transform the travel experience for residents and visitors within, to and from the west Cheltenham area, as well as those arriving from the M5 via long-distance coach travel, by providing enhanced park and ride facilities that are both convenient and comfortable.
The scheme has also been designed to offer improved sustainable travel choices and better connectivity to local active travel, which in turn will reduce congestion, lower CO2 emissions and improve air quality in the region. The state-of-the-art facility is a key milestone in the county council’s ongoing efforts to deliver sustainable transport options in the county.
Phase 2 completion
Phase 2 of Arle Court Transport Hub, which included the construction of the new multi-storey car park and bus terminal, was completed in July 2024 and opened to the public on Monday 29 July 2024. The hub includes several significant features:
- Expanded bus terminal: The new terminal supports reliable bus services linking Gloucester and Cheltenham hospitals and centres, making public transport a more convenient option for those using the enhanced park and ride facility. The site will be served by a number of electric buses, obtained through the recent successful ZEBRA bid. This will mean that over 20% of the total Gloucestershire bus fleet will be electric, providing sustainable and efficient transport for those using the transport hub and reducing the impact on the local environment.
- New and improved passenger facilities: The transport hub includes an indoor waiting area and a covered outdoor waiting area; real-time passenger information screens; a customer information desk; and toilets, including a dedicated Changing Places toilet. Vending machines for cold drinks and snacks will also be available, with a new cafe due to be in operational in 2025.
- Additional parking: The entire transport hub will provide almost 1,000 parking spaces on-site, compared with 576 previously. This includes 860 spaces in the new four-storey car park and facilitates a seamless transition between private vehicles and public transport.
- Electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints: The transport hub is home to the largest contactless payment EV charging public transport hub in the UK. The multi-storey car park features 100 x 7kW EV commissioned charge points for long stay-term charging, catering to commuters and visitors. The car park is also future proofed to enable the expansion of up to 266 x 7kW EV charge points as demand increases. The site also has roof mounted solar PV panels to generate renewable electricity for the building and EV charging.
- New and improved active travel facilities: The transport hub provides accessible secure cycle lockers, cycle hoops, cycle maintenance tools and shower changing facilities, as well as active travel links to local cycling and walking routes.
Kier was awarded the construction contract for the scheme following a competitive procurement process.
Phase 3 of works
A further contractor, Knights Brown, has been appointed to complete the third and final phase of the scheme, which will begin in late July 2024 and is due to be completed by November 2024. This phase will add more surface car parking spaces to the existing west car park, dedicated coach and camper/van parking, and further enhance the transport hub’s sustainability features including the installation of four rapid EV chargepoints.
The image below provides a visual representation of what the completed site will offer:
Scheme background
An upgrade to the existing Arle Court Park and Ride site was included as part of the initial package proposed for the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme, which successfully gained funding from UK Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), administered by Homes England, in 2020.
To accelerate delivery of the improved Arle Court Transport Hub, we decided to progress the scheme through a separate planning route to the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme. More information about the proposed improvements under the M5 Junction 10 Improvements Scheme can be found here.
The total budget for the scheme is £33m, which is being funded by the HIF and the council. In addition, Gloucestershire County Council and HIF have funded the installation of the 100 x 7kW EV chargepoints and will fund the rapid EV chargepoints, utilising the council’s awarded contractor Connected Kerb.
The proposals support Gloucestershire’s carbon neutral ambitions, by making sustainable modes of travel available in this area. The delivery of the upgraded transport hub is also a key element of the current Gloucestershire Local Transport Plan 2020-2041. In addition, improvements to the site and transport options will support planned housing and economic development sites in west and north-west Cheltenham.
Planning permission
Gloucestershire County Council submitted two planning applications for the improvements to Arle Court Transport Hub, both of which were approved:
Planning application for the enabling works
Key milestones:
- Submitted August 2021
- Approved November 2021
View the planning application.
Planning application for the construction of the multi-storey car park
Key milestones:
- Submitted January 2022
- Approved July 2022
- Revisions to planning submitted November 2022
- Approved April 2023
View the planning application.
Construction programme
Highway and enabling works
- Construction completed June 2022 – March 2023
Transport hub and multi-storey car park
- Construction started May 2023
- Construction completed July 2024
West car park
- Construction started July 2024
- Construction completed Autumn 2024
Key milestones
Completed
- Early 2022: Gloucestershire County Council submitted the multi storey car park planning application.
- Early 2022: Opportunity for members of the public to comment on the multi storey car park planning application.
- June 2022: Enabling site work begins to construct new accesses and widen Grovefield Way, along with drainage and landscaping improvements. The existing Park and Ride site will remain open during this time.
- November 2022: Revisions to planning submitted.
- March 2023: Enabling site work completed.
- May 2023: Start of construction of the multi storey car park and bus terminal.
- July 2024: Completion of the multi storey car park and bus terminal.
- Autumn 2024: Full completion of the scheme.
How to get in touch
If you have any questions about the scheme, please refer to our FAQs. You can also contact us by emailing majorprojects@gloucestershire.gov.uk or by calling 08000 514 514.