The ambitious plans could involve the stadium growing to accommodate 52,500 fans
12:56, 01 Jul 2026
How the revamped City Ground would look from Trent Bridge(Image: Joseph Raynor/Nottingham Post )
A fresh delay has been confirmed for Nottingham Forest’s ambitious plans to expand the City Ground with the club urged to ‘push on’ with the development.
Work could have started this summer on the expansion of the historic ground by the banks of the Trent, but planning approval might not be given until much later in the year.
News of the delay comes after Forest recently purchased the freehold for the Environment Agency’s Trentside offices, right next to the City Ground, for £5 million.
It is not yet clear why the purchase has been made, but one fan says the purchase shows the “ambition” of owner Evangelos Marinakis.
The Reds first unveiled City Ground expansion plans back in 2019 and approval was given in the summer of 2025, but the club then unveiled even more ambitious plans in December 2025.
The new Peter Taylor Stand would be 58-metres tall under the latest plans and the overall capacity could end up going from the current 30,000 to 52,500 – though the initial focus of the plans will be on getting capacity to 45,000.
Forest originally told fans that the aim was to have planning approval in May ahead of initial enabling works beginning this summer.
Yet recent planning documents confirm an agreement has been reached between Forest and Rushcliffe Borough Council, the authority that will have to give approval, to work towards an approval date of September 16.
Councillor Steve Battlemuch, a Nottingham Labour city councillor and passionate Forest fan, told the Nottingham Post: “I think another delay is disappointing for fans because the longer approval takes, the longer the building takes and the more seasons that new fans won’t be able to get into the ground.
“It’s been going on for far too long, but obviously Forest came up with very ambitious new plans and that’s caused certain people to put objections in, so I think the council just want to make sure they’ve got answers to all the questions.”
On the recent purchase of the Environment Agency offices, Councillor Battlemuch said: “The club has got big ambitions to have hospitality and conferencing at the ground, so whether the purchase is to expand that stand further back or to have different car parking facilities available, I don’t know, but I think it shows the ambition of the owner that they want that whole area around the ground to be available.”
The initial building phase will be focused on the Peter Taylor Stand expansion and the Trent End corners, which would take capacity to 45,000.
The focus would then be on the redevelopment of the Brian Clough Stand to grow capacity by another 7,500 – with the overall project set for completion in 2033.
The investment in the Peter Taylor Stand and Trent End corners would be worth an estimated £500million, whilst the Brian Clough Stand works would represent a £300 million investment.
Forest have agreed to provide a budget of £63,000 to Rushcliffe Borough Council to cover staff working hours in a bid to get a speedy approval.
Councillor Battlemuch added: “We’re about to go into our fifth season of Premier League football and that hopefully gives the ownership some sense of stability.
“Some of those seasons have been a bit touch and go, but the ownership were talking about going ahead with this whether there was relegation or not, so I think it’s the ideal time to push on.”
Getting final approval on Forest’s expansion plans will be crucial in finalising an agreement for the club to buy the City Ground’s freehold from Nottingham City Council.
The Labour-run authority and club were in a brief dispute over rent in which the club threatened a move to Toton, before an agreement was reached in principle for a £10 million freehold purchase.
Yet the club have always made clear that finalising this agreement is dependent on it being given permission to realise their ambitions for stadium expansion.
The agreement between Forest and Rushcliffe Borough Council reads: “Both parties wish to ensure that the proposed development is considered in a timely manner and as expeditiously as is practicable, and in compliance with relevant statutory procedures.”
It comes after the renowned architect Konstantinos Chatzimanolis joined the Marinakis empire after leaving architecture firm Foster and Partners, who helped design the new Wembley.
