Nottingham Forest Stadium Redevelopment Latest Details

Nottingham Forest’s plans to redevelop the City Ground, which would see the stadium’s capacity raised to 35,000, have been given a major boost after being recommended for approval. The development is due to be considered by Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning committee on June 26, who will have the final say on whether to grant full permission for the stadium’s long-awaited revamp.

Huge Boost As Nottingham Forest Stadium Redevelopment Plan is Recommended for Approval

How Will the City Ground Be Redeveloped?

Nottingham Forest’s plans to redevelop the City Ground would see the Peter Taylor stand demolished and replaced with a new 10,000-seater stand. This move would expand the stadium’s capacity from 30,576 to 35,000, making it the 15th-largest ground in England.

The new stand would be around 38 metres high, making it the tallest in the stadium, and would be the first major redevelopment of the City Ground since 1996, when the Peter Taylor stand was extended. According to council documents, the new development will add “improved staff/player infrastructure including spectator, hospitality and conferencing facilities.”

Forest are also hoping to receive outline planning permission to erect a 169-unit apartment block adjacent to the stadium.

A Long-Awaited Revamp

The proposed redevelopment is six years in the making, with the Tricky Trees first announcing their desire to upgrade the City Ground back in 2019, before outline planning permission was secured in 2022. However, the club have made a number of changes to the plans since that point, with the council deciding that the application requires “fresh consideration.”

Construction costs for the stadium revamp were initially set at around £94 million, but could now cost up to £130 million, according to a January 2025 estimate. If the Midlands side are able to secure full planning permission, this could aid chairman Evangelos Marinakis’s desire to purchase the stadium’s freehold from Nottingham City Council, who the club currently pay rent to.

The council has reportedly agreed to sell the land to the Tricky Trees, but the club have stated they will not purchase the freehold until they have secured full planning permission for the stadium revamp. Forest’s Greek owner was involved in a dispute with the council last year over the rate the club were charged, threatening to move Forest away from the ground which has been their home since 1898. However, it looks like this has been resolved with permission likely to be granted.

Will the Club Receive Full Planning Permission?

The council has recommended that the club are granted full planning permission for the City Ground redevelopment, but there are a number of conditions that the club will need to fulfil. These include making financial contributions to the local area and ensuring that the replacement facilities are in place before the existing Peter Taylor stand is demolished. 

Construction would then need to be commenced within three years of these conditions being met, although it is not clear when the club are hoping to start the redevelopment. This could be the beginning of a number of improvements made to the ground, with Marinakis previously stating that he wishes to expand the City Ground to a 50,000-seater stadium.