SNJ readers have chosen their top three designs ideas for a new football stadium for Forest Green Rovers.
Last week the club shortlisted nine striking stadium designs from almost 50 entries by architects based around the world in a competition to create the team’s new home.
Hundreds of residents and vans voted on our poll throughout the week to voice their opinions of their favourite.
The top three designs were Studio M12, followed by Richard Kroeker and then ZedFactory.
AFL Architects and Zaha Hadid Architects tied in fourth place.
This new 5000 seater stadium will be the centre piece on the proposed £100million Eco Park development near Junction 13 of the M5.
The club’s chairman Dale Vince has previously said the stadium will be unlike anything that has ever been seen before.
Ecotricity has launched a planning application to build the 100 acre sports and green technology business park proposal on either side of the A419 near Eastington.
From the nine shortlisted entries, FGR will select two finalists, who will be paid an honorarium and produce a scale model – the winning design will be unveiled in September.
Half of Eco Park will consist of state-of-the-art sporting facilities, including the new stadium, grass and all-weather training pitches, publicly accessible multi-disciplinary facilities, and a sports science hub.
The other half will comprise a green technology business park with sustainably built commercial offices and light industrial units.
The proposal will also see the development of a nature reserve on the site, a potential public transport hub, including a Stroud Park and Ride, as well as help with the restoration of the Stroudwater canal.
Forest Green Rovers is already something of a world leader - claiming to be the club on the planet to only serve vegan food at match days.
Planners at Stroud District Council are currently considering the application.
In spite of the stadium plans developing, fierce opposition remains to the proposals.
Critics argue the huge development would ruin the beauty of small rural communities which lie nearby, take up green field land and create massive traffic problems around Junction 13.
Writing on the SNJ’s website, one reader raised an eyebrow about the non-league club’s need for a bigger home.
“Does Forest Green need a bigger stadium? Just look at the tickets sold for Wembley compared to Grimsby,” he wrote.
“Save the green fields and let him build his 'Eco Park' on an existing Brown field site. Junction 13 is already a nightmare at peak times. Plus the land is subject to flooding.”
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