Reader's Letter: Question marks over viability of Eco Park

It would be interesting to know where the business demand is for commercial space to create 4,000 jobs in the region, let alone in the ‘green’ economy.

With the lack of housing in the District, presumably Ecotricity are proposing that any businesses using the park will expect their staff to commute by car daily as it is not a ‘sustainable’ or ‘green’ employment location.

Regardless of the car parking standards applied by the council, it is apparent that there will be insufficient on-site parking provision for staff.

Ecotricity’s expansion space requirement will make no real dent unless they relocate entirely to the park. Without other commercial tenants willing to take long- term leases at viable rents, it is unlikely that any speculative development will be fundable by a bank or institution at the present time.

The council’s budget shortfall will not be miraculously filled by 2020 by an increase in business rates revenues as any development will be spread over many years.

Where that leaves the proposed 5,000-seater sports complex or funding for the canal is another matter.

Ecotricity have no track record as a commercial property developer or the funding for this scale of development.

This would infer that once planning is granted, they would need developers and investors as joint venture partners or to simply sell the site on to fund the FGR scheme and undertake the stadium development.

As Mr Bomberg says, Ecotricity would then be simply using this planning application as a money-making scheme via a property ‘flip’.

Residents should not be surprised to find that the present proposals will be reworked once the principle of development is established and a much watered down more ‘traditional’ scheme for both elements put forward.

As for job security in Stroud, it was not that long ago that we saw examples of business and financial failures brought about by seductive property deals and a lack of due diligence.

Andrew Pegg

Stroud