Work continues to bring Five Acres back within budget
Forest of Dean District Council remains committed to delivering the regeneration of the Five Acres site, despite the challenges faced so far and is working hard to get the project back within budget so that construction can begin.
Cabinet Member for Economy, Cllr Johnathan Lane said:
“We know that there is a lot of interest in the redevelopment of Five Acres, and we want to underline our commitment to delivering the best possible facilities within the agreed budget.
“We had hoped by now to have agreed a works contract with our contractor; however, this has not been possible to date, and we will now be requesting more time from the government to conclude this work.
“The Council will continue to work with all partners to review proposed amendments and changes that may need to be actioned to bring the project back within budget so that we can begin the construction phase.
“We will continue to provide updates and communications during this review process and will be working together with all parties, including the residents of the Forest of Dean to ensure that this project is delivered successfully.”
Forest of Dean District Council officers are liaising with build contractor BAM, the Government Delivery Associates Network (DAN) and design and cost specialists to finalise plans for refurbishment and construction of Five Acres. This review process involves scrutinising all aspects of the design plans and exploring where changes can be made to help reduce costs and deliver the project within budget.
As part of this investigation, the Project Team has also explored a reduction in the number of features in the original design. However, the Council has taken on board feedback from residents and local organisations about the requirements of the local community and is working hard to balance community needs against the funding we have available at present.
Berry Hill ward councillors, Cllr Tim Gwilliam and Cllr Jamie Elsmore have agreed to support and assist Cllr Johnathan Lane and the Forest of Dean District Council Cabinet in delivering the project. Council officers have also held positive discussions with the MP for the Forest of Dean, Matt Bishop with respect to the cost and time challenges faced and will work closely with the Government’s Delivery Associates Network (DAN) team to progress the Five Acres redevelopment.
The site’s development is currently phased with the renovation and conversion of the Speedwell building, the construction of a new leisure space with ancillary car parking with electric vehicle charging points and cycle parking in Phase 1 and plans have now been concluded for phase 2 of the project that will deliver the 3G pitch with floodlights and a spectator area, with a planning application for this to be submitted shortly.
Full details for the Five Acres site redevelopment, as well as documents including designs, and comments and questions from previous public forum events can be found at the link below – this will continue to be updated as Phase 1 & 2 plans are finalised:
https://www.fdean.gov.uk/planning-and-building/regeneration/five-acres-redevelopment-site/