Gloucestershire County Council announces exciting update on the new Arle Court Transport Hub

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 will reduce congestion, lower CO2 emissions and improve air quality in the region.

The opening of the state-of-the-art facility marks the conclusion of Phase 2 of the scheme and is a key milestone in the county council’s ongoing efforts to deliver sustainable transport options in the county. It is due to begin operation on Monday 29 July 2024 and includes several significant features:

• Expanded bus terminal: The new terminal supports reliable bus services linking Gloucester and Cheltenham hospitals and centres. The site will be served by several electric buses, obtained through the recent successful ZEBRA bid, providing sustainable and efficient transport for those using the transport hub.

• 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 operation in 2025.

• Additional parking: The entire transport hub will provide almost 1,000 parking spaces on-site, compared with 576 previously, including 860 spaces in the new four-storey car park and facilitates.

• 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 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.

Work began on the new Arle Court Transport Hub in May 2023, at the existing Arle Court Park and Ride site. It will be the first of several county council transport hubs within the county, providing centres where people can park their car or bike or be dropped off by family, taxi or The Robin and then continue their journey by express bus.

Kier was awarded the construction contract for the scheme following a competitive procurement process. 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 charge points.

Cllr David Gray, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, said, "The completion of Phase 2 of Arle Court Transport Hub is a significant milestone in our mission to provide the necessary infrastructure to facilitate sustainable travel in Gloucestershire. The new facilities will not only make public transport and sustainable travel options more accessible but also play a crucial role in reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality in Cheltenham and Gloucester. I would like to extend my thanks to Kier and their various sub-contractors on the scheme for delivering the construction phase considerately and to schedule.”

More information about Arle Court Transport Hub can be found at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ACTH