Amended Eco Park proposal will focus on Forest Green Rovers stadium complex
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Ecotricity has today announced it will revise its existing planning application for its long proposed Eco Park development by junction 13 of the M5, and expects to submit its changes to the council before the end of the year.
The current proposal was submitted back in January 2016, and with no end date still in sight Ecotricity have decided to adapt the application to focus solely on facilities for Forest Green Rovers football club – as part of this the Zaha Hadid Architects designed wooden stadium will move to the north side of the A419, on the site of the currently proposed Green Technology Hub, and there will be no development on the south side.
This means there will be no Business Park in the revised plan, where facilities for up to 4,000 jobs would have been created, generating a £300m a year boost to the local economy.
The revised plans will be accompanied by updated environmental reports, looking at key issues including traffic, noise, lighting, biodiversity and landscape.
Dale Vince, Founder of Ecotricity, said:
“We’ve taken this decision because of the on-going delays with the planning process for the original concept. It’s a pragmatic decision recognising that Eco Park as proposed was just a bit too much for the council to get their heads round right now. The stadium is the most important part in the short term – the thing we need the most, and the easiest thing for planners to approve, so we’re removing the obstacles, which ironically we thought were the major benefits to the District, the 4,000 job green tech business park.
“Eco Park has just been earmarked by the council for employment use as part of the local plan review. The message we’re getting is that we need to come back in a few years’ time. We may do that.”
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