Plans for Fire and Rescue Training Centre, Highways Depot, and Care Home Near M5 and A38

Gloucestershire County Council is preparing to approve a significant £46.7 million development project near junction 10 of the M5, aiming to enhance local infrastructure and services. The ambitious proposal involves transforming 27 acres of council-owned farmland at Coombe Hill, adjacent to the A4019, into a state-of-the-art firefighter training centre, a highways depot, and a new care home.

The plan, scheduled for consideration by the council cabinet on December 3, includes additional improvements to five satellite fire stations across the county. The project requires negotiating the return of 27 acres from the current tenant farmer, leaving 75 acres still under tenancy.

Strategically located, the site offers excellent transport links and accessibility to Gloucester city, surrounding towns, and the wider Gloucestershire area. Its connectivity is expected to improve further once upgrades to junction 10 of the M5 motorway are completed.

To help finance the project, the development also incorporates a residential component featuring 24 new homes. These homes will be sold, generating capital receipts intended to offset the council’s borrowing costs associated with the overall scheme.

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member responsible for the fire and rescue service, expressed strong support for the development. He highlighted the council’s commitment to investing in local services and noted that consolidating firefighter training into one bespoke facility will greatly benefit the service.

“The fire service currently uses various venues for training, but bringing everything together in one purpose-built location will improve efficiency and effectiveness,” Hodgkinson said. “This project is an exciting step forward, complementing other initiatives at the same site, and represents positive progress for Gloucestershire’s fire service, highways operations, and care provisions.”