Road row Dale Vince protests at cost of scheme for stadium

MULTIMILLIONAIRE Forest Green Rovers FC owner Dale Vince is protesting the cost of dualling a stretch of road needed as part of plans for a new £100m stadium and Eco Park near junction 13 of the M5.

- Carmelo GARCIA Local Democracy Reporter

Picture: Ben Whitley/ PA Wire

Ecotricity’s bid to build a wooden 5,000 seat stadium for the club with 1,700 parking spaces and a business park were given the go-ahead last December.

The green industrialist, who in 2022 was said to be worth around £107m, has spoken on his own podcast about delays affecting the plans.

He said the highways authority want a dual carriageway built from the junction 13 roundabout to the A419 Chipmans Platt Roundabout because of the increase in traffic - and claimed it would cost £7m.

The outline proposal approved previously included dualling part of the A419, installing a signalised junction with pedestrian and cycle cross as well as parking for coaches and cars on site.

Gloucestershire County Council bosses say the dualling works were identified as part of the mitigation package associated with the previously approved planning application for this site.

However, they are at a loss as to where the figure of £7m has come from.

Mr Vince said on his Zerocarbonista podcast they have “beaten down most of the 30 planning conditions that stood in the way”

He said they have costed the project and “everything’s going well”