English Premier League club Nottingham Forest FC has been given the green light for a huge redevelopment of the City Ground.
The Sun said the ambitious project would increase the capacity of Forest’s historic home from 31,000 to around 52,500.
The Brian Clough Stand, Bridgford End, and Peter Taylor Stand are all set to be redeveloped as part of the scheme.
Full planning permission has been granted for Forest to demolish and replace the Peter Taylor Stand and redevelop the Trent End. That first phase would take the capacity to around 45,000.
Forest have also received outline permission to redevelop the Brian Clough Stand, adding another 7,500 seats. The huge makeover will also feature a new public plaza and restaurant alongside upgraded conferencing and media facilities.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, England (UK). The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.
The City Ground is a football stadium in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England (UK) on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest FC since 1898 and has a capacity of 30,455.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis is looking to continue to transform the two-time European champions.
A Nottingham Forest Supporters’ Trust spokesperson said, “On behalf of Forest supporters everywhere, we are delighted that our historic home has taken this major step to beginning its generational next chapter.
“We want to thank the club, our members, council officers and Rushcliffe Borough Planning Committee for their hard work getting us this far. It is a huge moment.”
East Midlands mayor Claire Ward believes the development could have an impact far beyond just Forest.
She said, “I see the expansion of the City Ground as the catalyst for what we could do across the Trent sports district.”
Revised plans were submitted earlier this year for the redevelopment. Under these, the total development area has now expanded to almost 15 acres and will accommodate a second tunnel under Trent Bridge designed to improve pedestrian routes around the ground on match days.
Design changes include the façade on the Peter Taylor Stand, which is pushed back to create more space at ground level for crowd movement, while the front of the redeveloped Brian Clough Stand will be extended to create new turnstiles and emergency exits, integrated with layout changes in the Trent End.
A detailed scheme for Peter Taylor Plaza, a public square designed to provide the stadium’s main arrival point on matchdays, has also been included in the revised proposals.
The club will contribute more than £4 million towards public transport and other infrastructure improvements in Nottingham.
Demolition work cannot begin until a new matchday crowd-flow plan has been agreed, with a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Trent among the possibilities.
Designs for the scheme have been produced by KSS Design Group, while Savills have provided planning consultancy. The project team includes Planit, Ramm Sanderson, Buro Happold, Mace, GIA, Steer, and PCA.
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