Work commences on City Ground after months of speculation
Work appears to have commenced on new additions at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, despite months of speculation about the club potentially moving from its historic home.
Construction has started on new hospitality zones, which received planning approval from Rushcliffe Borough Council in May.
These two hospitality areas, constructed from shipping containers, will be installed at the corners of the Trent End.
The existing gaps between the stand facing the River Trent and the Brian Clough and Peter Taylor stands will be filled with 20 private hospitality pods. Each pod will accommodate 18 fans, adding a total of 360 additional seats.
Each pod will feature a hospitality area with a kitchenette, according to the planning documents.
Space for these temporary hospitality zones will be created by demolishing the existing Lower Brian Clough turnstiles and Irrigation Tank House.
Nottingham Forest’s announcement of a multi-million-pound renovation plan for the City Ground in 2019 prompted the city council, which owns the land, to raise the rent from £250,000 a year to “north of a million.”
However, following the election of new Nottingham City Council leader Councillor Neghat Khan, who requested a face-to-face meeting with Forest, talks seem to have resumed.
If Forest stays at the City Ground, the club’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, envisions increasing the capacity of the Peter Taylor stand by demolishing and rebuilding it.
Rushcliffe Borough Council approved these plans in the summer of 2022, but work has not yet begun due to certain conditions needing to be met, including the demolition and relocation of boathouses by the River Trent.
The hospitality areas, which appear to be under construction, are intended to help meet fan demand in the meantime.
