Nottingham Forest first announced their City Ground redevelopment project in 2019 but work is yet to begin
Nottingham Forest’s City Ground underwent something of a refresh in the summer, but many fans will hope the biggest changes are yet to come.
Back in 2019, the Reds announced their grand vision to redevelop the stadium. Work on the multi-million pound project is yet to begin and earlier this year there was a question mark over the club’s future at the ground.
However, this week an update came from Forest chairman Tom Cartledge on the redevelopment plans. Below, we take a look at the story so far and what we know about the club’s plans.
The story so far
Forest first announced plans to redevelop the City Ground five years ago. The project took a major step forward in 2022 when Rushcliffe Borough Council finally gave approval for the scheme to go ahead.
Amid various challenges and obstacles, work is yet to begin. And earlier this year Forest’s future at the City Ground was thrown into doubt due to a dispute with Nottingham City Council, who own the land, over rent and a new lease.
That led to uncertainty over whether the Reds would remain at the ground they have called home for the past 125 years. Owner Evangelos Marinakis and Cartledge both spoke about the possibility of building a new stadium elsewhere, with Toton identified as a potential option.
By July, however, after negotiations between the two parties had restarted, senior councillors agreed to sell the freehold to the club. The deal was put to the council’s executive board for a decision on July 16, and senior councillors voted to approve an agreement in principle.
Councilor Ethan Radford, the council’s deputy leader, said at the time: “We are pleased that we have agreed a common objective with the club… Officers will work with Nottingham Forest to undertake this transaction in a timely manner.”
Cartledge has now confirmed an agreement in principle has been reached. And he has indicated the club have begun the process of trying to buy up some of the properties beside the ground to “facilitate the overall development process”.
What has been said?
Cartledge was speaking at the first Fan Advisory Board meeting of the season, held at the City Ground earlier this month. A summary of the meeting published on the club’s website said: “The club has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the freehold of the stadium and surrounding properties, which will facilitate the overall development process.
“A section 106 agreement regarding the redevelopment of the Peter Taylor Stand is in place. The club is actively exploring the acquisition of additional freehold properties to streamline the development.”
A Section 106 agreement is a legally-binding agreement between a local planning authority and a developer or landowner. Such an agreement is a way of addressing matters that are necessary to make a development acceptable in planning terms.
Forest’s plans
When the redevelopment project was first announced, a central part of the club’s vision was to knock down and rebuild the Peter Taylor Stand to hold 10,000 seats as they sought to increase overall capacity to 38,000. That would form phase one of the project, with an extension of the Bridgford Stand also planned.
A report by The Athletic earlier this year outlined the Reds’ desire to take the number of seats up to 40,000. It was said the additional capacity would come from extending the Bridgford Stand to incorporate an additional 5,000 seats, to go with the 10,000 planned for the Peter Taylor Stand. However, Forest are now looking to take the capacity up to 42,000.
The update from the FAB meeting said: “The proposed redevelopment would increase the stadium’s capacity to 42,000. Discussions are ongoing regarding the relocation of supporters if the Peter Taylor Stand closes for redevelopment. The club is exploring options to minimise disruption, and whether it would be possible to have the lower tier of seating operational before the full completion of the stand.”
Summer refresh
Changes were made to the City Ground this summer ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. And some improvement works are still taking place.
A safe standing section was installed and the hospitality facilities received an overhaul. Work to complete a separate executive suite for owner Marinakis is still ongoing. And finishing touches are being put to the club’s corner box project ahead of the suites’ official opening for the home match with Fulham on September 28.
The summary of Cartledge’s update at the FAB meeting added: “The club has been delighted with the changes implemented over the course of the summer including safe standing and additional seating in the Bridgford Lower, the Brian Clough Stand and the Peter Taylor Stand.
“The club is collaborating with the Safety Advisory Group to explore reducing segregation between home and away supporters, potentially increasing available seating. A case study from Chelsea has shown that closer proximity between home and away fans can reduce tension and enhance safety.”
City Ground importance
‘Wherever I may go, wherever I may roam, you won’t ever change the way I am’. For those of a Nottingham Forest persuasion unfamiliar with these words, they once hung from the Trent End during one of the many spectacular pre-match displays the Forza Garibaldi supporters’ group have treated us to over the years, NottinghamshireLive’s Jamie Barlow and Lewis Rudd wrote earlier this year.
This one in particular took place before a Championship game with Birmingham City back in August, 2018 (A 2-2 draw and an 87th-minute Daryl Murphy equaliser, if you’re asking). A move to Toton and playing outside of the city boundary just wouldn’t have sat right, and would have threatened to lose the tradition and soul the club is built on. So that message, unfurled on the Trent End back in 2018, feels all the more poignant now.
