Gloucestershire-based energy firm Ecotricity has revealed new plans for its long-awaited Eco Park development - the new home for Forest Green Rovers Football Club.

Revised plans include the all-wooden 5,000 seat stadium for FGR next to Junction 13 of the M5 motorway - approved in December 2019 and the use of land on both sides of the A419 to include a green tech business park.

The proposed scheme will feature 38,000 sq metres of office space and 18,000 sq metres of industrial space, designed to host companies working in the zero carbon economy.

It is hoped the new development will contribute around £150m to the local economy annually, while generating £2m per year in business rates for Stroud District Council.

The plans are said to align with proposed changes to the local plan, and the district council and Gfirst LEP's intention to bring green industries and knowledge-intensive sectors into the M5 growth zone.

Ecotricity also hopes to build a new training facility at Eco Park for FGR - recognised by both the United Nations and FIFA as the world's greenest football club. This would bring training back into the district for the first time since the club went professional - because of a lack of facilities in the area.

This new training complex will bring together the youth, academy, women's and first team together, and has already secured the backing of Forest Green Rover's partner, Candriam - a global sustainable investing firm.

Earlier proposals for the project were met with local opposition, due to concerns over increased traffic, noise and detrimental impact on the landscape.

But the new plans promise to improve the habitat on site - with a biodiversity net gain of almost 12 per cent from its existing green fields - enclosing the stadium in a parkland setting with more than 2km of new hedgerows, several thousand new trees and wetland, and the return of the canal. The site is also expected to self-generate more than 80 per cent of all energy used.

Ahead of forthcoming construction work, an extensive archaeological survey and dig has begun on the site. Expected to take three to four months, the dig will look for Roman artefacts.

Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, and chairman of Forest Green Rovers, said: "It's taken a long time to get here, but Eco Park and the local plan are now aligned and we are measurably closer to being able to start work.

"With Eco Park we'll be able to properly push the boundaries of sustainable development. The beating green heart of this project will be the lowest carbon football stadium in the world ever, at least since the Roman's invented concrete - which is fitting given we've got Roman remains on the site.

"We're hoping to get to work on training facilities in the next couple of months - and ultimately create a fantastic facility for all elements of the FGR football family to train together."

Subject to planning approval, Ecotricity hopes to begin work on initial training facilities this spring.