Nottingham Forest rings up approval for three-storey club shop
Premier League football club Nottingham Forest has received the thumbs up for an expanded store on the site of a former petrol station near its City Ground home.
The club lodged the proposals for 13-17 Radcliffe Road in August, the latest in a succession of planning applications centred around the redevelopment and expansion of the City Ground, which also got the green light from Rushcliffe Borough Council earlier this year.
Launching the development over the summer, the club said it wanted to create a “destination” retail store to showcase its brand, merchandise and heritage, unveiling a bold design for the three-storey block featuring full height windows and feature mesh-cladding.
Designs for the proposals have been provided by North London-based F3 Architects, the design practice behind Real Madrid’s flagship retail store at the Santiago Bernabéu in Spain.
The West Bridgford plot, which has sat empty since a former petrol station was demolished more than 20 years ago, sits directly behind Trent Bridge cricket ground – and around 500 yards from Nottingham Forest’s City Ground stadium.
The empty site sits directly behind the Radcliffe Road Stand at Trent Bridge cricket ground. Credit: Google
Approving the scheme under delegated powers, planning officers from Rushcliffe council said it was of “high-quality contemporary design”, which would bolster the sporting characteristics of the Trent Bridge area.
“The proposal would facilitate the relocation of the club shop to a more suitable premises that would bring a long- vacant site into use, enable the retention and growth of a viable business,” said the report.
“In doing so, the proposal would provide economic benefits through job creation whilst supporting the wider ambitions of EMCCA to develop the ‘Trent Sports District’.
“In the context of the adjacent sports facilities including the contemporary façade of Trent Bridge cricket ground immediately opposite the site, and in considering the wider aspiration of linking the various sports facilities as part of the ‘Trent Sports District’ sports-led regeneration initiative envisaged by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), the overall design approach would assist in reinforcing the sporting characteristics of the area.”
IBA Planning providing planning consultancy services. The project team includes Foxton Construction, Willis Hazell, Geo Dyne, Front Five, Arup, and OFR.
Gleeds are the lead project manager and cost consultants for the project.
Plans and documents relating to the application can be found on Rushcliffe’s planning portal using reference: 26/01359/FUL
