It has recently been announced that Forest Green Rovers’ new stadium has been refused by the Stroud District Council.
The League Two side were hopeful of getting their 5,000 wooden all-wooden ground approved, to meet the club’s ambition on reaching the Championship and be built by the 2023/24 season, but councillors voted against it.
Gloucestershire Live stated: “Seven councillors voted to refuse the stadium, designed by world renowned architect Zaha Hadid, and four voted against.”
Forest Green chairman Dale Vince, revealed his disappointment but also claimed the club’s supporters would be “devastated” with the outcome.
This is Forest Green’s current home…
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
And this is what was the planned new one…
Councillor Haydn Jones (C, Berkeley Vale), said after the meeting last night: “I think it is a stunning but we need to balance the benefits of that development against the potential costs.
“On balance I thought it had greater costs than benefits to the local community and road network.”
On if he supported the club’s ambition, he added: “I certainly do support their ambition, and I admire all the effort they have put in, I do hope they are successful and I would love to see them rise up the ranks.”
Dale Vince said the outcome was “a poor show” and that the meeting was “farcical”.
He said: “I am a little bit disappointed about what happened.
“Surprised at the decision and amused at what happened at the end when the councillors that voted the application down, realised they didn’t have any good reasons to give the officers to put in the decision notice.
“They had a recess, scratched their heads and came up with reasons that they threw at it. They did not really know what they were doing, then they had to confront the real issue that they had to give a real reason to turn it down.
“It is a poor show. Four years of work have gone into this, and the council has spent a lot of time and money doing this job properly. It was properly assessed, recommended for approval.
“They are on weak ground, and maybe we will appeal but that is another year of my life. How hard should I have to try to bring some progress? I do wonder if it is worth the effort.
“The fans will be disappointed and devastated. It is not just the fans, is it? If you go around the district of Stroud, there will be a lot of people disappointed.”
After learning of the result that saw the council refused Forest Green’s new stadium plans, social media users and fans took to give their reaction – find out what they tweeted on the next page.
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