Nottingham Forest's City Ground redevelopment - what we know so far as start date 'pencilled in'
The City Ground has come into its own in recent years as Nottingham Forest secured promotion to the Premier League and then retained their place in the top flight.
Reds fans have witnessed plenty of special occasions on the banks of the Trent. And they will be hoping for many more to come as Nuno Espirito Santo's side look to secure European football this season.
Back in 2019, Forest announced their grand vision to redevelop their stadium. Work on the multi-million pound project is yet to begin but now it has emerged the summer of 2026 has been "pencilled in" as a start date. Below, we take a look at the story so far and what we know about the club's plans.
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The story so far
Forest first announced plans to redevelop the City Ground six years ago. The project took a major step forward in 2022 when Rushcliffe Borough Council finally gave approval for the scheme to go ahead.
Amid various challenges and obstacles, work is yet to begin. And last year the Reds' future at the stadium was thrown into doubt due to a dispute with Nottingham City Council, who own the land, over rent and a new lease.
That led to uncertainty over whether Forest would remain at the ground they have called home for the past 125 years. Owner Evangelos Marinakis and former chairman Tom Cartledge both spoke about the possibility of building a new stadium elsewhere, with Toton identified as a potential option.
By last July, however, after negotiations between the two parties had restarted, senior councillors agreed to sell the freehold to the club. The deal was put to the council’s executive board for a decision on July 16, and senior councillors voted to approve an agreement in principle.
Councilor Ethan Radford, the council's deputy leader, said at the time: "We are pleased that we have agreed a common objective with the club... Officers will work with Nottingham Forest to undertake this transaction in a timely manner."
Cartledge went on to confirm an agreement in principle had been reached. And he indicated the club had begun the process of trying to buy up some of the properties beside the ground to “facilitate the overall development process”.
In December, Councillor Neghat Khan said she had been reassured the sale should be completed by the end of the financial year, in April. And now a potential date for work to start has emerged.
According to The Athletic, the redevelopment has been “pencilled in” for the summer of 2026. It comes amid news the City Ground is being lined up to host a senior England international fixture, with plans being finalised for Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions to face Senegal on June 10.
What has been said?
Before he stepped down from the role of chairman last October, Cartledge spoke about the stadium situation at the first Fan Advisory Board meeting of the season. A summary of the meeting published on the club’s website said: “The club has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the freehold of the stadium and surrounding properties, which will facilitate the overall development process.
“A section 106 agreement regarding the redevelopment of the Peter Taylor Stand is in place. The club is actively exploring the acquisition of additional freehold properties to streamline the development.”
A Section 106 agreement is a legally-binding agreement between a local planning authority and a developer or landowner. Such an agreement is a way of addressing matters that are necessary to make a development acceptable in planning terms.
Former chairman Nicolas Randall KC was reappointed to the role when Cartledge stepped down. The change in chairmanship also reportedly led to a change in the architectural firm overseeing the redevelopment project.
According to The Athletic, Cartledge's Benoy firm "is no longer driving the project". Discussions have reportedly taken place with the architectural firm that helped design the new Wembley - Foster and Partners - with "new ideas" shared.
Forest’s plans
When the redevelopment project was first announced, a central part of the club’s vision was to knock down and rebuild the Peter Taylor Stand to hold 10,000 seats as they sought to increase overall capacity to 38,000. That would form phase one of the project, with an extension of the Bridgford Stand also planned.
A report by The Athletic last year outlined the Reds’ desire to take the number of seats up to 40,000. It was said the additional capacity would come from extending the Bridgford Stand to incorporate an additional 5,000 seats, to go with the 10,000 planned for the Peter Taylor Stand.
However, it then emerged Forest were looking to take the capacity up to 42,000. The update from the FAB meeting said: “The proposed redevelopment would increase the stadium’s capacity to 42,000. Discussions are ongoing regarding the relocation of supporters if the Peter Taylor Stand closes for redevelopment. The club is exploring options to minimise disruption, and whether it would be possible to have the lower tier of seating operational before the full completion of the stand.”
Last September, Marinakis said his long-term version was to take the capacity up to 50,000. He said: “Over the years, we have done a lot for the region. I think what we need to do is have a bigger stadium now.
“The first priority is to do it at the City Ground. That’s where the team belongs and that’s where the tradition is.
“That’s what we want to do. That’s why I have already spent a lot of money on the City Ground; you can see that it’s much different.
"We have a lot of supporters and a huge waiting list for season tickets. I'm sure a 50,000-seat stadium will be full watching our team and our passion.
“This is very important. It is very important for the team and it is most important for the town of Nottingham. 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. This is my prime target right now."
City Ground importance
'Wherever I may go, wherever I may roam, you won't ever change the way I am'. For those of a Nottingham Forest persuasion unfamiliar with these words, they once hung from the Trent End during one of the many spectacular pre-match displays the Forza Garibaldi supporters' group have treated us to over the years, NottinghamshireLive’s Jamie Barlow and Lewis Rudd wrote earlier this year.
This one in particular took place before a Championship game with Birmingham City back in August, 2018 (A 2-2 draw and an 87th-minute Daryl Murphy equaliser, if you're asking). A move to Toton and playing outside of the city boundary just wouldn’t have sat right, and would have threatened to lose the tradition and soul the club is built on. So that message, unfurled on the Trent End back in 2018, feels all the more poignant now.
Read the full comment piece on the importance of Forest remaining at the City Ground, here.
