STROUD MP David Drew says the council ‘plays a devious hand’ following Ecotricity’s announcement of revised plans for Eco Park, but Conservative leader Mark Hawthorne thinks Dale Vince and Mr Drew are using them as a scapegoat.

Yesterday it was announced that plans for Ecotricity’s Green Technology Hub, which would provide 4,000 jobs, will be put on hold until building is underway for Forest Green Rovers’ new 5,000 seater wooden football stadium.

Forest Green chairman and Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said that building would have already started if it wasn’t for GCC’s highways department.

Mr Vince said: “They need to pull their finger out, if it wasn’t for highways we could have been building by now, I realise that they are chronically understaffed but it is not good enough from them.

“The stadium is the most important part in the short term – the thing we need the most, and the easiest thing for planners to approve, so we’re removing the obstacles, which ironically we thought were the major benefits to the district, the 4,000 job green tech business park.”

Mr Drew had strong words for the county council when he was interviewed by BBC Radio Gloucestershire this morning.

He said: “It’s amazing that the county can dig up Stonehouse High Street in a matter of days, and it takes months not to respond to Eco Park.

“The county council play a devious hand all the time.

“They have no time for Stroud in one way or another, and this is just another aspect of that, which makes me hopping mad.

“I’ve given up on the county council effectively, they are a level of government that provides nothing but misery.”

“At the end of the day the planning process has to wind its way on, I hope people will now get behind this.

“We do need to look at how Stroud can raise its head above the parapet and do something positive, rather than what happens with the county council which is just intent on doing Stroud down.”

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said in response: “It’s poor form for Dale Vince and David Drew to use the county council as the scapegoat for Ecotricity’s decision to cancel their proposals.

“This was always going to be a very complicated application involving a football stadium and large business park next to Junction 13 on the M5.

“Ourselves, Highways England and local residents have raised serious reservations about the impact on the local transport network.

“The bottom line is that Ecotricity and their consultants have failed to provide us with sufficient evidence to allay these concerns. If we get this wrong then it’ll cause gridlock in the area.

“David Drew’s about a lack of investment in Stroud is ill informed at best. We’ve invested heavily in the Stroud area, including resurfacing work, the revamp of Stroud High Street and current works in Slimbridge. He hasn’t picked up the phone to speak with me about his concerns, which is disappointing.

“We’re always happy to speak with Dale Vince and David Drew, and if they decide they want to carry on with the application then we will do. However, the final decision on whether to grant permission or not rests with Stroud District Council.”