Road safety is a matter the Government takes very seriously and National Highways is committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on England’s motorways and major A-roads. National Highways works closely with the Police and other partners to ensure it has an evidence based understanding of fatal collisions and collision hotspots on its network, in addition to regional reviews and monitoring. This analysis supports National Highways in making targeted interventions on its network to reduce collision numbers and severity. More broadly, National Highways seeks to improve safety through its partnership working, such as with the Police and businesses to support safe driving behaviours.

Road safety is a matter the Government takes very seriously and National Highways is committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on England’s motorways and major A-roads. National Highways works closely with the Police and other partners to ensure it has an evidence based understanding of fatal collisions and collision hotspots on its network, in addition to regional reviews and monitoring. This analysis supports National Highways in making targeted interventions on its network to reduce collision numbers and severity. More broadly, National Highways seeks to improve safety through its partnership working, such as with the Police and businesses to support safe driving behaviours.

Gloucestershire County Council’s proposals for this scheme have focused on developing a relief road to mitigate increased traffic from the planned Tewkesbury Garden Community and to offer relief to Junction 9 of the M5.  The traffic modelling for the proposals, which has been assessed by National Highways, suggests that they would deliver a reduction in waiting times on the junction and shorter queue lengths, which could help mitigate collisions. The scheme is currently part of the Major Road Network and Large Local Majors programme, but is under review to determine its affordability. The Department will confirm a decision on future funding later in due course.

The M5 Junction 9 and A46 (Ashchurch) scheme is currently under review as part of the Major Road Network and Large Local Majors programme. A decision on the future of the scheme will be announced by early summer. Until such time, it would not be appropriate to comment on specific schemes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 104999 on 19 January 2026.

The government is committed to boosting housing supply and unlocking economic growth.

My Department is providing an additional £71.5 million in funding to the M5 Junction 10 Housing Infrastructure Funding project. The project is expected to directly unlock 8,900 homes; enable a further 12,000 homes; and support major developments around Cheltenham at Golden Valley and the National Cyber Innovation Centre, with up to 12,000 jobs expected to be created.

The government is committed to boosting housing supply and unlocking economic growth.

My Department is providing an additional £71.5 million in funding to the M5 Junction 10 Housing Infrastructure Funding project. The project is expected to directly unlock 8,900 homes; enable a further 12,000 homes; and support major developments around Cheltenham at Golden Valley and the National Cyber Innovation Centre, with up to 12,000 jobs expected to be created.

The deliverability of local plans, including in relation to the provision of essential infrastructure, is tested by Inspectors during local plan examinations. It will be for the inspectors to determine the importance of different infrastructure required to deliver the plan.

In my letter to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate on 9 October 2025, which can be found on gov.uk here, I stressed the importance of Inspectors approaching examinations of plans prepared in the current plan-making system with the appropriate degree of flexibility. Expectations around the evidencing of whether the legal and soundness tests have been met should be proportionate to the context in which plans in the existing system are being prepared.

National Highways routinely assesses the current performance and potential future needs of the strategic road network through its Route Strategies process. The routes serving the Newton Abbot constituency and surrounding area have been considered as part of its South West Peninsula strategy. There are no plans to extend the M5 into the Newton Abbot constituency, and the A38 Devon Expressway will remain the principal strategic route serving Newton Abbot in Devon.

The Department for Transport is in discussions with the operator of Strensham Northbound motorway service area regarding the future of the lease at that site. The nature of these discussions means they are commercially confidential. A final decision is not required soon because the sites lease does not expire until 2042.

Speed limits have been reduced from 70mph to 60mph between Junctions 1 and 2 of the M5, as well as a small distance south from Junction 2 to improve air quality. The analysis of the 60mph speed limits on traffic flows and speeds and air quality measurements are currently being evaluated by National Highways.

National Highways is not gathering information directly on fuel usage nor is it making an assessment of the noise changes as a result of 60mph speed limits.

The J4a-6 M5 smart motorway scheme started construction in January 2016 and was opened for traffic in May 2017. The table below contains the number of reported traffic collisions reported by Highways England for this stretch of road, where a lane closure has been implemented:

The Department’s review of the safety of Smart Motorways across England, published in March 2020, showed that overall, the evidence shows that in most ways, smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones. But not in every way. To ensure we are doing all we can do to improve safety, a package of 18 measures were published in March. This will allow us to retain the benefits of smart motorways while addressing the concerns that have been identified.

Government has no plans at present to develop the M5 as a growth corridor. However, this strategic corridor is important for the economies of the Midlands Engine and the Western Gateway.

We have supported growth through a number of key projects which include: the recent announcement of £219million Housing Infrastructure Fund to improve Junction 10 in Gloucestershire; £12.19million Local Growth Funding to improve the junction 25 at Taunton; and also the creation of 2 Enterprise Zones, Gravity at junction 23 near Bridgwater and at the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone at junction 29.

Highways England have a rolling programme of asset renewal, with reflective studs typically being replaced every 3-5 years. Highways Inspectors also carry out frequent inspections of the whole M5 carriageway and will assess and record any defects found.

Where studs are missing or damaged, Highways England arrange for their replacement as part of scheduled work schemes. In mid January 2020 overnight works took place on the M5 southbound carriageway between 11A and 12. 1446 studs were replaced.

Highways England have a rolling programme of asset renewal, with road markings typically being repainted every 3-5 years. Highways Inspectors also carry out frequent inspections of the whole M5 carriageway and will assess and record any defects found. In mid January 2020 overnight works took place on the M5 southbound carriageway between 11A and 12 and 7134 linear metres of lining was repainted.

The full length of the M5 has reflective studs installed.

Final decisions on the second Road Investment Strategy that will cover new investments in the Strategic Road Network after 2020 will be announced later this year. These decisions will draw on evidence assembled through our extensive consultation and engagement process, including local proposals for enhancing the A38 between Exeter and Bodmin and the findings of Highways England’s South West Peninsula Route Strategy, published in 2017.

The decision to consult was taken before the Coroner’s Inquest into the tragic collision on 16 September 2017. It was based on the emerging body of evidence, collated by the Department for Transport, over several years including that obtained from vehicle inspections and the important new research commissioned in January 2018.

The Department also commissioned an independent examiner in relation to the tyre implicated in the collision of 16 September 2017. The Department became aware of new evidence implicating tyre ageing directly in the cause of the collision on 21 February 2019, evidence with which the Department's independent examiner concurred. The analysis from the independent experts included as testimony at the inquest formed an important contribution to the Department's emerging evidence base. Ministers were informed of this new evidence on 22 February 2019

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency staff attended the scene of the collision on 16^th September 2017, and recognised that tyre damage had occurred. In November 2017, the Department for Transport became aware of a Police report relating to the collision that cited tyre age as an issue and immediately commissioned an independent examination of the tyre. This reported in December 2017 and a further forensic examination was commissioned. This reported in October 2018 and Ministers were informed of the findings in early November 2018.

In parallel with these investigations specialist research was contracted in January 2018 to examine the wider issue of tyre ageing. This is expected to report in spring 2019.

Given the emerging evidence on tyre safety, the Government announced on 26 February that it will consult on options to ban older tyres from use on buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles and minibuses to help keep road users safe.