Nottingham Forest’s City Ground stadium redevelopment plans finally gets the green light, six years after they were first unveiled.
The initial phase, focusing on the Peter Taylor Stand, will increase its capacity from 5,000 to 10,000 seats.
Additionally, outline permission has been granted for a residential block of up to 170 units, though further details are needed for full approval.
The Premier League club has been negotiating with Nottingham City Council to secure the stadium’s freehold and address local contributions, including support for a rowing club affected by demolition.
The broader plan aims to expand the stadium’s capacity from 30,000 to 40,000 by upgrading and extending the other three stands.
Full permission for the Peter Taylor Stand is granted, with conditions to be met, while the residential element awaits further details.
The Club is delighted that Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Planning Committee has approved our application regarding the redevelopment of the City Ground.
We look forward to working closely with our partners on the next steps and will provide a further update in due course. pic.twitter.com/ib0PjOo4bK
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) June 26, 2025
STATEMENT:
The Club is delighted that Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Planning Committee has approved our application regarding the redevelopment of the City Ground. We look forward to working closely with our partners on the next steps and will provide a further update in due course.
Leader of the Council Cllr Neil Clarke said: “Given the significance of this application, I am delighted the Planning Committee saw it fit through its independent process to again give the green light to the club to assist with its plans.
“Forest play such an important role in the community and have such an impact on the local economy. We are proud they call Rushcliffe home and it’s heartening we can support them further with their aspirations.
“I am very pleased that this application has now been passed and we look forward to working with them further.”
Forest’s legal representative at Thursday’s meeting confirmed that this will merely be the “first step” in the evolution of the City Ground.
Chris Potts said the club’s success since being promoted to the Premier League has “shone a light” on the need for improvements at the City Ground.
He told the planning committee: “The Peter Taylor Stand has witnessed some incredible moments, but it’s the obvious part of the stadium to look to expand.
“A new stand of 10,000 spectators will be modern, it’ll be inclusive, it’ll work incredibly well on match days. The delivery of a new stand will be transformational for the area and will represent the first step in the City Ground’s evolution.
“It’s incredibly expensive, the timetabling is incredibly tight and of course when you do redevelop, you remove a stand, so you reduce capacity and income. Undertaking this is a major commitment.”
Rushcliffe planning officer Charlotte Thompson said the club is “integral to the tourism and visitor offer of the borough and greater Nottingham as a whole.”
The officer said the development would boost the local economy by £13 million a year and would create 264 jobs.
Expansion plans were announced in 2019, with outline planning permission granted in 2022, but in years gone by, the project faced complications, requiring “fresh consideration” due to the extended timeline, as noted in recent council documents.
The estimated construction cost has risen from £94m to £130m, according to a January 2025 estimate.
The development meanwhile is projected to boost the local economy by £13m annually and create hundreds of jobs.
As part of the section 106 agreement, the club will fund:
£1m for local bus service improvements.
£150,000 for upgrades to the A60/Cattle Market Road junction.
£200,000 for cycle improvements along Lady Bay Bridge.
The club will enter a legal agreement to replace Nottingham Rowing Club’s Britannia boathouse, which will be demolished. Replacement facilities must be provided before demolition, but a new location is yet to be identified.
Objections included increased matchday congestion, parking issues, and disrupted bus services, with Councillor Penny Gowland noting severe impacts on local mobility.
Public response included 2,538 letters of support and 116 objections.
Approval enables the club to buy the freehold of the City Ground land from Nottingham City Council, resolving a prior rent dispute that raised relocation concerns.
No start date is set, but construction must begin within three years of the final planning decision.
Twitter users reacted as Nottingham Forest’s City Ground stadium redevelopment plans gets the green light…
@gemlford: Great news but with the whinging people on the council I think it will be a struggle to grow further
@davo261088: Rushcliffe Borough Council Planning Committee Champions, you’ll never sing that!
@Battlemuch4WW: Great stuff. Hope we can crack on soon with the building work. Brilliant to be able to get 5,000 extra Forest fans in the ground, more local jobs and better facilities for the local area. #NFFC
@GarethJD: Terrific news. Well done to the club in getting it approved despite a few crusty Rushcliffe councillors trying to thwart it.
@1865mmij: Im gonna miss the original peter taylor stand, So many memories in A Block 😢 #NFFC
@72jamesk: Great news for the club its a shame they’ve got to demolish the boathouse as it adds a bit of character on the walk up to the ground.
@_Rimal: Excellent news! Hopefully we can build a new capacity Peter Taylor Stand that doesn’t cause a loss of atmosphere and there’s at least 5k more viable seats.
@ianbrown10: That first MOK with the extra 5000 is going to be sooooo bloody loud I wouldn’t miss it for the world ❤️🤍 #nffc
@Forest_No_22: Pretty sure I just saw mr Marinakis in B&Q buying cement and a load of shovels GET IN YOU RRRRRRRRREDDDDSSS!!!
@weallhaterams: Get the plans in for the Bridgford End asap. Those Councillor clowns will make it as difficult as power. Scary how much influence they have.
@lightfoot1981: It’s going to look fucking amazing walking down the banks of the Trent. Already the best scenic ground in prem #nffc
@AurierForPM: To the old bastards who were standing in our way with their pathetic objections: Have that. #nffc
@bartonstu: About bloody time as well. Cracking news
@Adam_Kemp: This place is going to be incredible 🥲😍
@Chris78901: Absolutely delighted. Get that boathouse sorted and get the diggers on site, this is a massive step for us as a club ❤️ #nffc
@GaribaldiNerd: I’d love to get excited like everyone else…but until I see a digger on site. Just a pipe dream still.
@BrummieTricky: Ultimately sensational news that we can upgrade City Ground. Moving would be a disaster. Great news and once again, big well done to the sext Greek bastard of a owner. Attendance fc will be fuming 😂👀 #nffc
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