UK timber football stadium plan kicked into touch by council

19 June 2019


Plans to build the first UK football stadium out of wood have been rejected by councillors.

Forest Green Rovers, whose chairman is Ecotricity owner Dale Vince, will appeal against the decision made by Stroud District Council’s development control committee on June 12.

The council cited lack of community benefit, noise issues and impact on the landscape. The stunning 5,000-seater Eco Park stadium, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, would be sited near junction 13 of the M5 and constructed using timber, with hundreds of trees planted in parkland around it.

It was being billed as the “greenest” football stadium plan in the world. Mr Vince said the reasons given for rejecting the plans were “bizarre”.

At the same time, Forest Green Rovers will re-submit the application and are in discussion with the council about minor changes that could provide clarity to the proposal.

“We’ve done a huge amount to showcase sustainable initiatives at our current ground, the New Lawn, but Eco Park will take our sustainable thinking to a new level entirely as well as helping us to meet our ambitions on the pitch,” the club said in a statement.