Dale Vince, the multi-millionaire owner of Forest Green Rovers FC and founder of Ecotricity, has raised objections to the significant expense of upgrading a key road as part of plans for a new £100 million stadium and Eco Park near junction 13 of the M5.
Last December, approval was granted for the construction of a wooden 5,000-seat stadium, which will also feature 1,700 parking spaces and a business park. Despite progress, Vince highlighted ongoing delays in the project, particularly concerning road infrastructure.
The Gloucestershire County Council highways authority is requesting the dualling of the A419 stretch from the M5 junction 13 roundabout to the Chipmans Platt roundabout to accommodate expected traffic increases, a project Vince estimates would cost around £7 million. This figure, however, remains unverified by the council.
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Vince addressed the issue candidly on his Zerocarbonista podcast, expressing frustration with the highways authority’s demands. He argued that football match traffic primarily occurs during off-peak times—often Saturday afternoons or weekday evenings—when the road isn’t congested, and thus the costly dual carriageway upgrade seems unnecessary.
The original planning consent included several conditions, among them improvements to the A419 and the installation of a signalised junction to support pedestrian and cycle access alongside expanded parking. Gloucestershire County Council maintains these road works were part of the mitigation package linked to the initial planning approval.
However, Vince insists the dualling condition was explicitly imposed as part of the planning permission and is not mutually agreed upon. He described the highways authority’s stance as leveraging their position to enforce costly requirements on the project, which he believes are disproportionate given the stadium’s anticipated traffic patterns.
Lisa Spivey, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, acknowledged the importance of local investment and the ambitions behind the stadium development. She confirmed the dualling work is a planned mitigation measure tied to the previously approved application. Spivey also noted that the county council has not provided the £7 million cost figure cited by Vince, nor do they know its origin.
A new planning application for the site has recently been submitted and will be evaluated independently, with any required transport or infrastructure improvements assessed based on evidence and relevance to the updated proposal. The council welcomes dialogue with Vince to explore not only the stadium but also broader opportunities tied to renewable energy and the green economy.