Forest Green Rovers chairman Dale Vince has criticised Gloucestershire County Highways for stalling progress on the club’s long-awaited £100 million Eco Park stadium project.
In December 2024, planners finally approved detailed designs for Vince’s vision to create a new stadium as a “gateway to Stroud,” located near Junction 13 of the M5.
However, construction has yet to begin — not a single spade has gone into the ground — with the Forest Green owner revealing Gloucestershire County Council have asked him to build a dual carriageway to mitigate potential matchday traffic.
Speaking on his Zerocarbonista podcast with broadcaster Ian Collins, Vince said: “We keep making progress — we’ve got planning permission, we’ve beaten down most of the 30 planning conditions that stood in the way, we’ve done a detailed design, we’ve got blueprints ready for builders. We’ve costed it, everything’s going well. But we’ve got a road issue to crack with the county highways, who are just a nightmare in the whole project.
“There’s one junction — Junction 13 of the M5 — the road that leads into Stroud, and the highways people are trying to gain from the position of power they’re in. They’re trying to get a dual carriageway built from the local roundabout to the next one, at our expense.
“It’s only about a kilometre, but they want it dualled because they say we’ll bring a lot more traffic — and yes, it’s already quite busy there. But it’s only busy during weekday rush hours. Football is on a Saturday afternoon or a Tuesday night, so we’re bringing people in the off-peak.
“It’s seven million quid. If it were a little less, I might just waive it away — but at that price, I can’t help but blame them.”
Cllr Lisa Spivey, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council said: “The County Council welcomes investment into our county, and we recognise the contribution Dale Vince and his companies have made locally. We also welcome the ambition behind the proposed stadium development and would be happy to discuss with Mr Vince both those plans and wider opportunities around renewable energy, which aligns closely with our own commitment to the green economy.
“Dualling works on the A419 were identified as part of the mitigation package associated with the previously approved planning application for this site. The £7 million figure referenced in a recent podcast has not been provided by the County Council, and we are not aware of its source.
“A new planning application has now been submitted for the same site. Any transport or infrastructure requirements linked to the new proposal will be considered on their own merit as per the planning process, based on evidence, proportionality and in coordination with the local planning authority.”
