Nottingham Forest Football Club has secured planning approval for a major redevelopment of its City Ground stadium and surrounding land in West Bridgford.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning committee last night backed the hybrid application, which includes full consent to demolish and rebuild the Peter Taylor Stand plus outline consent for a 170-unit residential tower.
Originally approved in July 2022, the scheme required a second committee resolution due to the passage of time and updates to planning policy, including the December 2024 revision to the National Planning Policy Framework.
According to planning documents, projected capital expenditure for the construction phase has risen to £130m, up from £94.4m in 2022.
The development is expected to sustain a net gain of 253 construction jobs.
Built in the 1960s, the Peter Taylor Stand will be replaced with a new 10,000-seat structure. Hospitality suites, conferencing facilities, a club shop, and spaces for community use will be included in the rebuilt stand.
A new public plaza will link the stadium and the proposed apartment building, featuring car and cycle parking, entrance gates, and a gatehouse.
Designs for the stand include a cantilever roof with repetitive framing on each structural grid line, echoing the rhythm of the Bridgford and Trent Stands. Externally, the building will be clad in concrete panels, aluminium panels in club colours, and glazed panel systems, with portal cladding used at entrances.
The plaza will incorporate contrasting paving to distinguish pedestrian and vehicle areas, with bollards used to improve safety and separation.
A gatehouse and substation built using brick, perforated metal panels and a grey metal roof will be located at the southern edge of the site.
Outline consent has been granted for a 13-storey residential building containing seven ground-floor commercial units totalling 267 square metres. Indicative plans show 88 one-bedroom, 76 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom flats.
A section 106 agreement has been finalised, securing contributions toward play space, sports pitch upgrades, allotments, education, and healthcare.
While the 170-flat scheme was deemed unviable for on-site affordable housing, a viability appraisal submitted in May 2025 showed an improved financial position compared with the 2022 version.
To create space for the new plaza, the Britannia Boathouse occupied by Nottingham Rowing Club will be demolished.
A replacement facility must be provided beforehand. Although the boathouse is registered as an Asset of Community Value, the council found that its loss would not result in significant harm to local heritage.
Located in Flood Zone 3a, the site is protected by existing defences.
The Environment Agency withdrew its objections after receiving further technical information, and has imposed conditions including raised floor levels and the installation of non-return valves on drainage outlets.
Once complete, the project is expected to increase the stadium’s overall capacity by around 5,000 seats.
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Colin Marrs