Forest Green Rovers are set to cement their status as arguably the most eco-friendly football club in the entire world with the approval of their new stadium – a facility that will be built almost entirely from wood.
Despite currently playing their football in the National League, the Green Army continue to be a leading figure in the ‘green' space and will once more push the boundaries of the sport in this regard.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about the new Forest Green stadium, including its features, location and latest updates regarding its development.
Forest Green Rovers – new wooden stadium approved by council
Forest Green Rovers new stadium – December 2024 update
While plans for the club's new stadium at Eco Park have been in the works for quite some time now, they have only just received approval from the local Stroud Council.
Speaking at that very meeting, a life member of Forest Green Rovers, Colin Peake, said: “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.”
Council concerns regarding parking
It is well known that Forest Green's new stadium will be accommodated by a massive parking facility containing space for 1,700 vehicles.
However, despite approving the plans, Stroud Council did voice one key concern – that if the price of parking on-site was too expensive, fans would expand outwards from the venue to find cheaper facilities.
The council, therefore, suggested that Forest Green charge a low enough fee so as to not “discourage visitors from parking on site” – a proposal readily accepted by the club.
While no official start date for construction ahs been confirmed, the approval of the plans from he council is an integral step in the right direction.
What will the new Forest Green Rovers stadium be like?
Well, in short, almost entirely wooden.
Behind the build is Ecotricity, one of Britain's greenest energy companies. For its efforts to create a brighter future, Ecotricity has previously won the ‘Company of the Year' award. It is fitting that they should team up with Forest Green, a side recognised by FIFA as the “greenest team in the world.”
However, the plans themselves were created by Zaha Hadid, a globally recognized architectural company. Although the stadium will be made almost entirely from wood, the club have ensured that the ground will maintain a “modern aesthetic.”
Where will the Forest Green Rovers new stadium be located?
As important as the aesthetics of a new stadium are its location, and thankfully, Forest Green's new home will conveniently be situated near Junction 13 of the M5 on the A419 in Gloucestershire.
Improvements to traffic lights and anti-congestion measures will also be implemented as part of the wider project.
What facilities will the Forest Green Rovers new stadium have?
The new facility is expected to contain 5,000 seats – approximately the same capacity as the club's current venue. However, their new ground will have one massive advantage over the previous, and that is, of course, its eco-friendliness.
Speaking about the new stadium, Forest Green Rovers Chairman, Dale Vince, 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.”
Forest Green has also vowed to plant 500 trees and 1.8 kilometres of hedgerows on the new site to promote biodiversity, offset the damage to the environment that will inherently result from the brand-new 1,700-space car park that will be built on-site.
Despite being made of wood, all signs suggest that this will be an incredibly modern football stadium.
The wider ‘Eco Park' project at Forest Green
While the new stadium is being marketed as the “centrepiece” of the club's new Eco Park, the new project encompasses far more than just the ground itself.
There will be a new training complex constructed, which the club have stated will bring Forest Green's “Youth, academy, women’s and first teams together at a single facility. All our teams will be able to train in the district for the first time since the club went professional.”
Additional features of the wider Eco Park project include:
- Organic pitches
- Vegan food only
- Ability to generate 80% of the complex's required energy on-site
- 12% increase in the local area's biodiversity
- Better transport links
- The complex will generate an extra £150 million in revenue for the local job and create over 5,000 new jobs
- Sheltered housing on-site
- Brand-new ECO Park Hotel
While we are still in the early stages of the ground's development, it is clear to see that the Forest Green new stadium will be revolutionary and will represent a huge step in the right direction for the entire sport.
What will happen to the ‘New Lawn' Stadium?
At the same meeting during which plans for the club's new stadium were approved by local city councillors, plans to demolish Forest Green's current ground, the New Lawn – which is also one of the world's most sustainable football stadiums, were also approved.
While this will undoubtedly be sad for the club's fans who have developed a special connection with the venue, rest assured that 95 new homes will be constructed in its place, which will have a huge positive impact on the local community.