PLANS by Forest Green Rovers to relocate a temporary training facility to its new stadium site have been booted out.

The club applied to Stroud District Council earlier this year to install a marquee for indoor training for three years.

But planning officers have rejected the application - branding the structure a 'stark unattractive building that is of poor quality in a prominent sensitive location'.

The proposals are part of the club's plans to move its training ground to the new Eco Park development near junction 13 of the M5.

Ambitious plans which include a new all-wooden 5,000 seater stadium and a green tech park already have planning planning approval.

As part of the rejected plans, the club wanted to relocate a training marquee from Stanley Park Sports Ground in Chippenham, where FGR have been training since 2017 after previously being based at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester.

Planning permission has already been granted for two football pitches at the new training site, which the players will use as of next season as they prepare for their campaign in the National League following their relegation from League Two.

But the marquee plans have been rejected by officers, who also deemed them neither 'imperative' nor 'essential' in the countryside location.

A planning document read: "The proposal for an indoor training facility to support FGR is not considered to be imperative or essential in this rural countryside location.

"The proposal also is not operationally functional due to the lack of welfare facilities to support the intended use.

"The proposal is deemed to be a more desirable form of development rather than essential.

"The development by virtue of the siting, as well as the scale of the substantial structure and the appearance of the materials used, would cause harm to the landscape and the setting of the industrial heritage conservation area through the erosion of its open setting, and the physical impacts of the development upon this setting.

"The development by virtue of its size, scale, appearance and the materials proposed would result in a stark unattractive building that is of poor quality in a prominent sensitive location.

"While officers acknowledge that the proposal would bring forward some community benefit, this is not considered to be an enhanced benefit to that of the [already] approved training pitches.

"Officers consider that the limited public benefit in the form of a facility to be utilised by FGR is not sufficient to outweigh the identified harms and the presumption against the proposed development.

"Accordingly, the planning application should be refused."

Since these proposals were refused FGR have released a statement to their supporters with an update on Eco Park.

The update in relation to training facilities said: "While the club waits for planning permission from the council for the wider project, we've moved ahead to install two pitches with temporary facilities at the training centre to allow the first team to relocate there at the end of this season.

"Once we get planning permission we are aiming to add additional pitches, an all weather 4G pitch, community facilities and a permanent club house."

The SNJ approached FGR for further comment.

See the plans at tinyurl.com/35hn7e69