Ecotricity submits Eco Park application after six-month consultation

The company has spent the last six months gathering feedback from local people, businesses, football fans, sporting groups and planning experts for its proposal.

As well as five drop-in sessions and many stakeholder meetings¹, Ecotricity also commissioned independent assessments of the key issues and undertook environmental studies before submitting the outline application.

Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder and FGR Chairman, said: “We’re really pleased to get to this stage – it’s been a very busy six months, talking to a lot of people and identifying all the key issues.

“We’ve had a fantastic response from across the District, particularly during the drop-in sessions – 75% of people who gave us feedback at those sessions supported the plans, which is great.

“Many people are excited about the prospect of new businesses coming to Gloucestershire, new jobs being created, new sports facilities being available, and a new stadium for Forest Green Rovers.

“There were some concerns too, of course – and we’ve taken those on board and addressed them in our application.

“Probably the most significant of those issues was traffic congestion. We know there’s already a congestion issue at Junction 13, so we commissioned an independent traffic assessment – and the suggestion coming out of that is to dual the road from junction 13 to the next roundabout, which would make the traffic situation better for everyone.

Vince continued: “Another issue raised during the consultation was whether there is a need for more employment land within Stroud District, so we commissioned an independent assessment on that issue – this found a clear shortfall in employment land and that Stroud is unable to support the growth of the local economy over the next 15 years.

“It also found that Eco Park could actually cut that employment land shortfall in half – which adds to our view that Eco Park has the potential to bring a real boost to business in the Stroud District, creating up to 4,000 jobs.

“It will be a place where green businesses and technology companies will come together and share ideas, a real focal point of creativity and innovation for the area – and a part of the green industrial revolution that’s beginning to take off around the world.”

Eco Park is a proposed 100 acre sports and green technology centre at Junction 13 on the M5 – with 50 acres dedicated to creating state-of-the-arts sporting facilities, including a new stadium for Forest Green Rovers, while the other 50 acres will comprise a green technology business park capable of creating up to 4,000 jobs.

Ecotricity also announced that Eco Park will also feature a nature reserve area, a transport hub, and will fill in a key part of the missing mile of the Stroudwater canal.

Notes:

¹Ecotricity conducted five consultation events in Nailsworth, Eastington, Stroud and Stonehouse. Of the 444 members of the public that attended the sessions, 350 people provided feedback: