Nottingham Forest reveal new transport plans as part of huge City Ground redevelopment proposal

Nottingham Forest have unveiled plans to overhaul how supporters travel to the City Ground as part of their proposals to significantly increase the stadium's capacity.

The club wants to encourage more fans to leave their cars at home, with new park and ride options forming a key part of its plans to manage the additional traffic that would come with a bigger stadium.

Forest propose new park-and-ride service to the City Ground

Forest are proposing new park-and-ride options for supporters attending home matches as part of their plans to expand the City Ground from around 31,000 to 52,500 seats.

The proposals form part of a wider transport strategy submitted alongside the club's redevelopment plans, with Forest looking to reduce the number of supporters driving directly to the stadium and parking on residential streets.

A proposed Controlled Parking Zone would cover an area within roughly 2km of the City Ground, with supporters who park in restricted areas around West Bridgford, Lady Bay and the Meadows facing fines on matchdays.

For those who still want to drive, Forest are proposing partnerships with tram park-and-ride operators and NET, allowing supporters to pre-book a parking space alongside their match ticket.

The suggested price is around £7 per car, with the package also including an NET day ticket for up to four people. Forest say this would represent a saving compared with many existing matchday car parks, which cost around £10.

The club is also proposing to work with the East Midlands Combined County Authority to increase the availability of bus park-and-ride sites at Queen's Drive and the Racecourse.

Shuttle buses would operate from those locations, with services running before and after matches. Forest are proposing departures every ten minutes, or whenever buses become full.

FGG says: Forest need a transport solution to match their stadium ambition

These plans make sense if Forest are serious about taking the City Ground towards 52,500 capacity.

Adding thousands of supporters without improving how they get to and from the stadium would simply create an even bigger matchday headache.

Making park-and-ride cheaper and easier to book could be a good incentive, although the club will need to convince fans that the extra journey time is worth it.