Stroud Times was invited to meet Forest Green and Ecotricity chief Dale Vince at the site of the anticipated Eco Park.
We spoke to Dale at the site, located next to Junction 13 of the M5, which is set to become the new home of Forest Green Rovers.
The plans include the first-ever all-wooden stadium, which will seat 5,000, and new training facilities for the men’s, women’s and youth teams.
If approved, the football club’s new home ground will become the lowest carbon football stadium in the world.
There will also be a care home, a 100 bedroom hotel as well as office space for businesses in the zero-carbon economy.
A nature reserve will be created that will improve the habitat on site by creating more green space with trees, wetland, hedgerows, and a new canal.
The build will contribute around £150m to the local economy annually while generating £2m per year for Stroud District Council.
Outline planning permission has already been given for the stadium.
Construction work can only begin after a huge four-month archaeological dig has taken place on a Roman Villa and artefacts buried below.
