Nottingham Forest to unveil stadium expansion plans

Nottingham Forest football club will reveal updated plans to expand its historic City Ground to around 45,000 seats this week.

Forest had earlier expansion plans approved in June, for a scheme which involved the redevelopment of the ageing Peter Taylor stand, a plan which would have extended capacity at the stadium by about 5,000 seats to around 35,000.

Approval of that scheme appeared to pave the way for the club to buy up the freehold to the stadium, which the council agreed to sell to the club in 2024, although a purchase deal has still not been concluded.

However, the club’s ambitions have broadened since the earlier approval, with a keenly-awaited public exhibition of updated plans – set to push capacity over the 40,000 mark – due to get under way this week.

An earlier scheme to expand the City Ground designed by Benoy Architects would have seen the Peter Taylor Stand demolished and rebuilt. Credit: Benoy

Two public drop-in sessions unveiling the proposals will be held at the City Ground on 5 and 6 December.

The move forms part of a public consultation on the plans, ahead of a planning application being submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council, which is expected to land in the council’s inbox later this month.

London-based architects KSS Group have been brought in to design the updated scheme, have previously worked on stadium expansions at Leeds and Liverpool.

Speaking to the BBC last year, owner Evangelos Marinakis said the re-development of the City Ground was his “first priority”.

“It’s most important for the town of Nottingham and this is something I want to be able to finalise and for the years to come to have one of the best stadiums in England,” he said.

“This is my prime target right now.”

A full launch event will be held in 2026 after plans have been submitted, the club says.