Transaction paves the way for a nuclear energy redevelopment and will support future low carbon innovation.

National law firm Foot Anstey has advised South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) on the £6.5 million sale of its subsidiary company, which owned the Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park, to the Chiltern Vital Group (CVG).

CVG plan to redevelop the site for a new kind of nuclear technology.

Foot Anstey's involvement with the site dates back a decade, when the firm provided legal advice to SGS on the acquisition of the 40-acre site from a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The site, formerly used as laboratories for the nearby nuclear power station, had been largely underutilised since the decommissioning of the plant. SGS saw potential in the space and transformed it into a thriving hub for education and business.

The college's vision for the site was twofold: to create a new educational campus and to generate sustainable income through the leasing of its buildings. During SGS’s ownership, the College undertook a significant refurbishment of a large engineering hall to establish a cutting-edge centre for engineering courses. In addition, the College facilitated the construction of a new University Technical College on the site and provided flexible workspace for a variety of new businesses. Throughout this period, Foot Anstey supported SGS with legal advice on funding arrangements and lease agreements.