Go-ahead for Forest Green’s eco stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, January 3^rd, 2025

Image: Forest Green Rovers

A new environmentally friendly timber football stadium is to be built for Forest Green Rovers (FGR) after planners gave the scheme the green light.

The BBC said Ecotricity’s build will include an all-wooden 5,000 seat stadium for FGR, 1,700 parking spaces and a business park near junction 13 of the M5 in Gloucestershire, England.

Forest Green Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England (UK). The team competes in the National League, the fourth tier of the English football league system, and has played their home games at The New Lawn stadium since 2006, when they moved from their original home at The Lawn Ground.

Chairman of FGR, Dale Vince OBE said: “This ground-breaking stadium will provide a new home for FGR. The 5,000-capacity stadium will be the first stadium to be made almost entirely from wood which is beautiful, natural, durable and sustainable.

“We’ve taken a step closer towards the world’s greenest sports complex and a fabulous facility for the local community.”

The concept began in 2015 with a global design competition, culminating in Zaha Hadid Architects winning the bid in 2016.

Following years of rigorous planning outline approval was secured in August 2020. Now, after more than a decade of dedication, the layout, scale and external appearance of the stadium has been approved by the council.

The state-of-the-art stadium will be made almost entirely from wood – nature’s original renewable building material – and will offer every fan an unrivalled view of the action.

After plans were approved by Stroud District Council, Colin Peake, a life member of FGR, said it will make a “massive statement” to visitors.

He said, “Whoever has ownership or takes over the running of this football club since 1889, all of us, including Dale Vince, are just temporary custodians.

“But each and every one of us has had the same objective which is to leave it in a better place for a future generation to enjoy. It will make a massive statement to those coming into the district by creating a first impression and a vision of what Stroud is all about.”

FIFA described the football club as the “greenest team in the world” after its players started wearing kit made of recycled plastic and coffee grounds and the club introduced a vegan-only menu.

The United Nations also declared that FGR was the world’s first carbon-neutral football club for its eco measures.

The new stadium has been designed with climate change in mind and integrates measures of energy efficiency and resilience against extreme weather conditions.

Separate plans to demolish FGR’s New Lawn Stadium at Forest Green in Nailsworth, to make way for up to 95 new homes were also approved by the committee.

The club was first granted outline planning permission for the new ground in December 2019.

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