Nottingham Forest first announced their City Ground redevelopment project in 2019 but work is yet to begin.
Nottingham Forest’s City Ground received some renovations over the summer, but many fans are hoping that the most significant changes are still to come.
In 2019, the Reds announced their ambitious plan to renovate the stadium. Work on the multi-million-pound redevelopment has yet to commence, and the club’s future at the ground was called into question early this year.
The story so far
However, this week, Forest chairman Tom Cartledge provided an update on the redevelopment plans. Below, we’ll look into the narrative so far and what we know about the club’s plans.
Forest originally revealed plans to renovate the City Ground five years ago. The proposal took a significant stride forward in 2022, when Rushcliffe Borough Council ultimately approved the scheme to proceed.
Work has yet to commence, despite numerous problems and obstacles. Forest’s future at the City Ground was called into question earlier this year after a dispute with Nottingham City Council, the landowner, over rent and a new lease.
This raised questions about whether the Reds would stay at the stadium where they had played for the previous 125 years. Owner Evangelos Marinakis and Cartledge also discussed the notion of building a new stadium elsewhere, with Toton mentioned as a possible location.
However, by July, once negotiations between the two parties resumed, top councillors decided to sell the club the freehold. On July 16, the plan was presented to the council’s executive board for approval, and senior councillors voted in favor of an agreement in principle.
Councilor Ethan Radford, the council’s deputy leader, stated at the time: “We are pleased that we have agreed on a common goal with the club…” Officers will work with Nottingham Forest to complete this transaction on time.”
Cartledge has confirmed that an agreement in principle has been reached. And he has stated that the club has initiated the process of attempting to purchase some of the properties adjacent to the stadium in order to “facilitate the overall development process”.
What has been said?
Cartledge was speaking at the first Fan Advisory Board meeting of the season, which was held at City Ground earlier this month. According to a meeting summary posted on the club’s website, the team has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the freehold of the stadium and neighboring properties, which will help with the overall development process.
“A section 106 agreement for the reconstruction of the Peter Taylor Stand is in place. The club is aggressively looking into acquiring additional freehold sites to expedite growth.”
A Section 106 agreement is a legally enforceable contract between a local planning body and a developer or landowner. Such an agreement addresses issues that must be addressed in order for a development to be approved in terms of planning.
Forest’s Plans
When the reconstruction project was first announced, the club’s aim included demolishing and rebuilding the Peter Taylor Stand to house 10,000 seats, with the goal of increasing overall capacity to 38,000. That would be phase one of the redevelopment, with an extension to the Bridgford Stand also proposed.
A story by The Athletic earlier this year detailed the Reds’ aim to increase the number of seats to 40,000. It was stated that the additional capacity would be provided by extending the Bridgford Stand by 5,000 seats, in addition to the 10,000 seats planned for the Peter Taylor Stand. However, Forest is now trying to increase capacity to 42,000.
The FAB meeting update said that the proposed refurbishment will boost the stadium’s capacity to 42,000. Discussions on relocating fans are ongoing if the Peter Taylor Stand is closed for redevelopment. The club is looking into ways to reduce interruption, such as whether the bottom deck of seating may be operational before the stand is fully completed.”
Summer refresh
This summer, the City Ground underwent renovations in preparation for the 2024/25 campaign. And some improvements are still underway.
A secure standing zone was built, and the hospitality amenities were overhauled. The project to create a separate executive suite for owner Marinakis is currently ongoing. The club’s corner box renovation is also nearing completion, with the suites set to open officially on September 28 for the home match against Fulham.
The summary of Cartledge’s update at the FAB meeting added: “The club has been delighted with the changes implemented over the summer, including safe standing and additional seating in the Bridgford Lower, the Brian Clough Stand, and the Peter Taylor Stand.”
“The club is working with the Safety Advisory Group to look into reducing segregation between home and visiting supporters, which could increase available seating. A case study from Chelsea demonstrated how tighter contact between home and visiting fans can reduce tension and improve safety.”
Read more news on:https://sportupdates.co.uk/
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