Forest Green Rovers’ new ‘timber stadium’ near M5 a step closer

Forest Green Rovers FC's new "environmentally friendly" timber stadium is a step closer to fruition as their latest plans have been put forward. The club was granted outline planning permission for the new 5,000 seat ground near junction 13 of the M5 in December 2019^[1].

And now Dale Vince's Ecotricity Group Limited has submitted a planning application to Stroud District Council for the layout, scale and external appearance of the stadium.

The ground has been designed to be emblematic and its distinct appearance is generated by its undulating roofscape, acting as a unifying gesture, which contrasts with the deliberate tectonic expression of the dense spacing of the structural timber frames, according to the developers.

Their aim is to retain the site’s rural setting and attributes while integrating the new stadium for Forest Green Rovers^[3] as a focal point for the club and wider community. The stadium has been designed with climate change in mind and integrates measures of energy efficiency and resilience against extreme weather conditions such as flooding or heatwaves.

The ground is designed to retain flood and stormwater and reuse rainwater. Also, the structure’s shading will reduce the heat island effect by creating overhangs over entrances to the stadium where there will likely be queuing.

Consultants working on the scheme say all building materials are audited for their embodied carbon with the aim of using the alternative with the lowest impact. The use of timber for the structural frame in lieu of concrete or steel is one result of this approach.

The west stand will act as the main stand and will contain all the players’ and match day officials’ facilities on the ground floor as well as a central catering kitchen and the main reception which doubles up as VIP entrance during match days.

The fan shop and box office are to be located next to the main reception and would be directly accessible from outside. The east stand will have seating for general admission spectators and has a main concourse and first floor premium facilities for fans.

The south stand is earmarked for the most dedicated home fans while the north stand contains the away end. The concourse can be segregated in various locations to allow for a flexible sizing of the away area depending on the number of visiting fans. The away section of the concourse would contain enough dedicated facilities for visiting fans.

The stadium’s “distinct architectural features as well as its material are used to produce a soft-glowing lantern effect at night”. This is to minimise the impat on wildlife.

“Areas around the stadium are lit by decorative lanterns mounted on columns, adhering to the latest standard on minimising obstructive lighting.”

And the plan includes creating a parkland landscape throughout the site, which merges into the historic orchard landscape. And they say this will be achieved by keeping most of the mature trees and planting new ones as well as enhancing hedgerows.

They say this will be achieved by keeping most of the mature trees, planting new ones and enhancing hedgerows. District planners are expected to consider the scheme by October 23.

What do you think of the designs? Have your say in the comments below.

References

1. ^{^} the new 5,000 seat ground near junction 13 of the M5 in December 2019 (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Gloucestershire residents' homes 'have moved' but they might not have realised it (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
3. ^{^} r Forest Green Rovers (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)