Club submits £100m redevelopment plans
Nottingham Forest FC’s plans to redevelop the City Ground have taken another step forward after the club formally submitted a planning application to Rushcliffe Borough Council.
The club intends to expand the Peter Taylor Stand by 6,000 seats, raising the overall capacity of the stadium to 36,000, and wants to add a museum, a new club shop, hospitality lounges and new executive boxes.
The revamped stand would include 10,000 seats split into three tiers.
Following a public consultation, the club has submitted a hybrid planning application to redevelop the stand, create new car parking provision and build up to 250 residential units, which would be arranged in two blocks.
Building work is expected to begin during the first half of 2020 if the plans are approved.
275 additional jobs could be created when the project completes.
Nottingham Forest chairman Nicholas Randall QC said: “We are delighted to announce this latest step in our journey. I would like to thank all of those who provided feedback and showed their support for the new stand. More than 8,000 people submitted responses during the public consultation week alone, with 99.5 per cent of the feedback showing a positive reaction. In addition to this we received over 60 letters of support from local, regional and national institutions, groups and businesses.
“Ensuring the long-term presence of the club in the local area is essential to the vision of our owner Mr Marinakis. We have made it our priority to listen to our neighbours and local businesses to understand their requirements for the broader economic and social benefits linked to the development in the area.
“Everyone involved has worked tirelessly over the past ten months to collate and consult with various stakeholders involved in the project to ensure we deliver a stadium that benefits not only our supporters but also our local community and its businesses.
“This is evidenced by the new jobs the redevelopment is expected to produce. Currently the club sustains more than 850 additional jobs locally with this number expected to grow to more than 1,125 when the new stand is complete. This number will grow further to at least 1,450 when Premier League football is achieved.
“In addition to the economic and social benefits, the new stand will also enable us to develop high-quality spaces in order to create a vibrant hub for community-based activity. This will open up opportunities for more diverse and inclusive programmes for all our people and in particular the young to participate in.
“This statement of intent from Mr Marinakis again emphasises his long-term commitment to the club and his determination to create the conditions for sustained success.”
