Investment in infrastructure plays a vital role in economic growth, supporting community development, and encouraging improvements and expansions in a rapidly changing world.
Inevitably, considerable investment in infrastructure often requires the development of land which is being used for other purposes and may be home to other businesses. In these instances, compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) can be a necessary tool to access the land required.
Although it can be a distressing time for businesses subject to CPO, it is important to remember that the development of infrastructure has been approved for its benefits to a variety of stakeholders and the future of the economy.
There are many infrastructure projects ongoing in Gloucestershire at the moment which will bring new business, tourism, improve access, create sustainable developments, and much more once completed.
Cyber Central Development
The Cyber Central development will be situated next to GCHQ on the western edge of Cheltenham. Initial plans show that the 24-hour campus will include shops, cafes, hotels, leisure spaces and an electric bus shuttle service transporting people into Cheltenham.
The cyber park will create new jobs by bringing new businesses to the area. There is also a broader plan to build thousands of homes, a primary school, and improvements to the road network coming into Cheltenham on the A40 from the M5 have been completed.
Tewkesbury Garden Town
The Tewkesbury Garden Town is a development project that aims to meet the housing and employment needs for the local area. The programme set out to provide future generations with great-quality homes, job opportunities and a vibrant new community in Tewkesbury.
A ‘garden town’ is part of the Government’s Garden Communities Programme which promotes the development of sustainable new communities.
The council was awarded £2.4 million by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Garden Communities Programme to contribute to the operational costs of delivering its garden town.
Cheltenham ‘missing link’
The A417 Missing Link scheme will be one of Gloucestershire’s biggest road projects for decades. The £460 million upgrade includes a new dual-carriageway to replace the existing single-carriageway stretch between the Air Balloon and Cowley roundabouts near Birdlip. The area has been well-known as a hazardous stretch of road, plagued by congestion for many years.
The route links the M5 in Gloucestershire with the M4 in Wiltshire and so provides a vital transport and logistical route for many businesses.
It is likely that all these projects will involve CPOs and, for those affected, seeking independent advice would be the best route for making sure that the process runs smoothly, and that compensation can be agreed in a timely manner. The Hazlewoods Forensic Accounting team has acted on behalf of affected landowners, surveyors and acquiring authorities to quantify business disturbance losses and compensation.
