CONSERVATION groups have raised significant concerns about Highways England's proposed options to improve the A417 at the Air Balloon roundabout.

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and The National Trust have united to call for the road scheme to have better funding to enable Highways England to deliver a scheme that benefits the environment, tourism, the local community and road users.

Known locally as the ‘missing link’, this stretch of single carriageway road between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout restricts the flow of traffic on a key route which is otherwise dual carriageway.

The charities are concerned that the proposed options to improve it risk causing significant harm to the landscape.

In a joint statement Roger Mortlock, chief executive, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Jonny Loose, general manager, National Trust said: "We fully accept the existing road needs improving but while we were encouraged to see a robust vision for a landscape-led road scheme, we do not believe the route options currently presented reflect the vision for a scheme that is appropriate within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"Highways England has shown that a tunnel here could be the best solution. We believe a huge opportunity has been missed to seek the public’s opinion on the best of the tunnel options and call for an additional consultation so that a tunnel option is back on the table.

"The two options for consultation represent a missed opportunity as neither option present opportunities to re-connect the wider landscape. We understand that value for money is important but this is a nationally significant landscape highly dependent on visitors who value the countryside of the Cotswolds."

Highways England launched a consultation on options to upgrade the three-mile stretch of road yesterday (February 15).