PROPOSALS for a major development of land around junction 13 of the M5 have been backed by the college developing a new campus at the former laboratories at Berkeley Power Station.

SGS College has linked-up with the firm hoping to develop the lane surrounding the junction of the M5 at Eastington, Ecotricity.

They believe that the new £100 million Eco Park development would create jobs for graduates of its £26 million Advanced Engineering and Environmental Research Centre at the Gloucestershire Renewable Energy, Engineering and Nuclear (GREEN) campus which is currently being developed.

SGS College principal Kevin Hamblin said: “It’s still early days, but we believe there is a natural synergy between our two visions. Gloucestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership, GFirst, has identified a skills and training gap in low carbon construction engineering, and SGS College have just begun work on our new GREEN project in Berkeley.

"We’ll be producing scientists, engineers and technology graduates for the low-carbon sectors, which are the kinds of people that the businesses at Eco Park will be looking to recruit.”

He added that there was a requirement for developments like Eco Park to support the college's work.

“There is an absolute need for a development like Eco Park to augment the work we are doing at SGS and it would present an opportunity us to work with employers and develop our course offering to meet increasing real-life demands of companies”.

The partnership was formed as a result of the recent consultation process held by Ecotricity as it seeks the go-ahead to develop the 100-acre site which, as well as providing space for businesses, would include a new home for Forest Green Rovers football club as well as a wildlife reserve.