Back in 2019, Nottingham Forest revealed plans to redevelop the Peter Taylor Stand at the City Ground.
The plan at the time was to knock down the current stand and rebuild a new one with a capacity of 10,000 to boost the City Ground's overall capacity to over 38,000.
The stand was set to be all-seated and three-tiered, with executive boxes and corporate facilities included. New changing rooms for the players inside the stand, as well as a new club museum and new club shop, were also announced.
However, shortly after announcing these plans, the Covid pandemic struck, and many football clubs across the UK were forced to put grand financial plans on hold.
Nottingham Forest new stand plans are still alive
Five years later, after first unveiling the plans, Nottingham Forest are set to re-commence their Peter Taylor Stand renovation this summer, provided they get the green light from Nottingham City Council.
That isn't the only work set to take place at the City Ground, however. The club is now also pressing forward with plans to increase the Bridgford Stand at one end of the stadium by 5,000 seats. Additionally, Nottingham Forest wants to build a brand-new training facility.
Club chairman, Tom Cartledge, said in February 2024:
“If the city council gives us the nod, the owner wants me to get on with everything straight away. The owner’s appetite hasn’t stopped. He is trying to spend, where appropriate, to improve the fan experience and increase the capacity. We can read into that he wants to stay here.”
“I don’t think there has ever been a project in this city, across all its assets, where somebody is prepared to put in between £100m and £200m, as our owner is for both the Peter Taylor Stand and the Bridgford Stand. It will create a huge number of jobs. Hotel rooms will be full, restaurants will be full. The benefits for the city will be huge.”
Cartledge has also previously made public his desire to relocate from the City Ground altogether, largely due to strained relations with the council.
Uncertainty over the future of City Ground expansion following stalled council talks
In March 2024, Cartledge announced that the club were considering moving away from the City Ground following a disagreement over the lease where the stadium sits.
The council reportedly wanted Forest to increase their rent from £250,000 to £1 million a year if they extended the lease.
This led to the club hierarchy exploring local areas to build a potential new stadium. There is land space near Toton, which was discussed as an area in which Forest could build a 50,000-capacity facility in the future.
Reds fans were disappointed with this revelation and were even heard chanting anti-Toton songs in their final home game of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
In May, Daniel Taylor of The Athletic reported that Forest were offered the chance to buy the City Ground freehold for £10 million. This led to more positive talks in the next couple of months, with the City Council announcing on 8 July that they had agreed a deal in principle to sell the City Ground land to the two-time European champions.
Forest responded with the following statement on 8 July, though, “After today’s comments from the leader of the City Council, the Club wishes to clarify the situation for supporters and stakeholders regarding the freehold for The City Ground.
“For absolute clarity, we continue to work on the terms for a conditional deal for the purchase of the freehold. Any decision to purchase the freehold will be entirely conditional on Nottingham Forest first being granted the relevant permissions that will allow us to realise our hugely ambitious plans for a significantly larger stadium capacity, world-class hospitality spaces and associated substantial real estate development in the vicinity of the ground.
“Our discussions remain confidential and the Club will update fans when meaningful progress has been achieved.”
It would be an absolute disgrace and cause irreparable damage if the current custodians of the club moved ‘Nottingham' Forest 8 miles outside of Nottingham.
— Southbank City (@SouthbankNottm) May 10, 2024
City Ground redevelopment update
City Ground has been home to Nottingham for the past 125 years, so retaining the venue and redeveloping it seems to be the best option for the club at the moment. Following the resolution of the dispute regarding the freehold of the property, some positive developments have since been reported.
Agreement in principle to purchase City Ground freehold
Following extensive discussions with the Nottingham City Council, the club chairman reported in September 2024 that they have reached an agreement in principle to purchase the stadium's freehold as well as the surrounding property.
Following the successful negotiations, a redeveloped City Ground will see the venue have an increased capacity of 42,000 from the current 30, 445. The new seats would come from extending the Bridgeford Stand by an additional 5,000 seats and another 10,000 seats added to the Peter Taylor Stand.
Earlier in the summer ahead of the 2024/25 PL season, Nottingham Forest installed a safe standing zone and renovated hospitality facilities at the City Ground. Work on the Evangelous Marinakis executive suit as well as finishing touches at the corner box have also been completed.
Moreover, the club installed a new screen at the Trend End and removed one that was previously housed between it and the Clough Stand following demands from fans for a bigger screen.
Other plans in the City Ground redevelopment include an audit of accessibility facilities across the stadium. It will involve working closely with the Disabled Supporters Association to improve the experience of wheelchair users.
FGG says: An expanding stadium for expanding ambition
When plans for a new stadium expansion were first announced, not many would assume we'd be talking about Nottingham Forest as a Champions League contender. But, as the 2024/25 season draws to a close, Forest does indeed find themselves in this position. With the club's ambition on the pitch clear, a larger stadium is key to unlocking more revenue, and with it, more chances to realise their dreams.
Sadly for Forest fans, the situation seems to be without resolution for the time being. While the original plan was to expand the stand and redo the lease, the club now finds itself in a situation where it either needs to buy the freehold for the land or move to a new stadium. For now, plans are awaiting approval once again from the city council. Once approved, things will likely move on quickly. Forest will get a roughly 12,000 capacity bump at the City Ground when they do.