When Nottingham Forest City Ground expansion could be completed ahead of ‘key’ planning decision

Nottingham Forest's City Ground expansion could be completed within a decade if planning permission is given in a meeting this week.

The Tricky Trees have made a decent start to the 2026-27 Premier League campaign, picking up their first victory of the campaign at the base of Midlands rivals Aston Villa last time out.

Goals from summer arrival Liam Delap and fellow striker Igor Jesus secured maximum points at Villa Park, where the Villans will be hopeful of avoiding relegation this term.

Currently at a capacity of around 30,000 spectators, the City Ground is the biggest stadium in Nottingham but Forest are aiming higher in their ambitions.

The proposed expansion of the Tricky Trees' home has recently been branded as a “one in a lifetime event”, signalling the potential importance of the project to the club and the local community.

Oliver Glasner's troops are back in action at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon, when pointless Coventry City visit for a Premier League clash.

City Ground expansion timeline given ahead of council meeting

According the Nottingham Post, an expansion of the City Ground could be completed within the decade, with the club having a certain milestone in mind.

The report claims that Forest want the full renovation works to be completed by 2033, just in time to be a host for the 2035 Women's World Cup, hosted by multiple countries in the United Kingdom.

Rushcliffe Borough Council are set to meet on Wednesday (September 16) to discussing whether they feel comfortable giving the green light to the plans of the football club.

This is a major moment in the expansion plans of Forest, who first proposed the idea of increasing the capacity of their venue in 2019.

What are the plans for City Ground expansion?

First off, Nottingham Forest want to increase the capacity of the stadium from 30,000 to 45,000 by filling in the corners of the Trent End and extending the Pete Taylor stand – a project that would be welcomed by the majority of supporters.

The expansion would hit the next level a few years down the line, though, with the capacity boosting up to 52,500 by extending the Brian Clough stand.

To accommodate the vast increase in supporter attendance at the stadium, the club may also need to build a bridge over the River Trent to allow more fans safe and speedy entry into the arena.

FGG says: Slow process continues

It seems like every club up and down the country has grand plans of expanding their stadium and becoming an elite force in English football.

In reality, only a few – if any – will reach their goals, and it is hard to see what makes Forest special compared to other teams.

Giving the Tricky Trees credit, their 2033 deadline for completion is sensible should the council approve of the plans this week.