Minister for Sport and Tourism visits The City Ground to see Nottingham Forest’s stadium redevelopment plans

Ruth Edwards, MP for Rushcliffe, invited Nigel Huddleston, the Minister for Sport and Tourism, to The City Ground to showcase the plans for the redevelopment of the stadium.

The visit was hosted by Nottingham Forest Chairman, Nicholas Randall, QC, and former player, manager and chairman, Frank Clark.

The visit included a tour of The City Ground and Mr Randall provided an overview of the plans for the development of the new Peter Taylor Stand. 

Mr Randall said:

We were honoured to host Nigel Huddleston MP, the Sports Minister, and Ruth Edwards MP today to show them around The City Ground and explain our plans for the future of the stadium. We continue to work with our partners and stakeholders to help shape the club in the best long-term interests of our fans and the local community.

We have worked hard and invested heavily in preparing our planning submissions and look forward to moving the project forward in the coming months. This is an important strategic investment by the owner. Mr Marinakis and everybody at the club is fully aware that we are merely custodians. Securing Category 1 Academy status and progressing these ambitious plans for the stadium are examples of how seriously the owner takes his responsibilities.

Nigel Huddleston MP, the Minister for Sport and Tourism, said:

I would like to say thank you for what Nottingham Forest have done during COVID because the club, like many across the country, have shown themselves to be embedded within their local community and really helping out. It is a club with a proud history and today I’ve been hearing about great plans for the future. 

As Sports Minister, I want to hear what’s going on not only at national level but also at local club level. We have amazing facilities and grounds up and down the country but we do need to refresh the offering and what I’ve seen is really impressive. In this day and age we need to do a little bit more in terms of hospitality and event offerings to make sure we’re fit for purpose in this modern era.

Ruth Edwards, MP for Rushcliffe, said:

I’ve bought Nigel Huddleston here today to hear more about the history of Forest and the plans for the future.

I can’t wait for the stadium to be full again and the plans for the new stand are brilliant. They are really important to the club and the fans, and to get more people here into the local economy and supporting those local businesses.

I think the club has done a wonderful job of supporting the community throughout COVID. It’s great to see the plans for the new stand and also for the build around it. I just want to see them being built now!

Stadium regeneration 

Benoy have been working with Nottingham Forest on a stadium wide regeneration which will expand the stadium to the largest in the East Midlands with 38,000 seats. As part of this will be a new Peter Taylor Stand, including world-class player facilities, and a new approach to guest hospitality, including multiple suites and dining venues. The new Peter Taylor Stand will create a stunning centrepiece for this iconic riverside stadium.

Researching best-in-class stadium design, Benoy’s design for the new stand creates a tier of 10,000 seats under a dramatic cantilevered roof. The building accommodates state-of-the-art player facilities and various size hospitality suites to appeal to different fan groups and non-match day audiences. The masterplan is complete with a new residential development terracing down to the river, providing stunning views towards Trent Bridge.

The club submitted their revised planning application for the multi-million pound project last month. The amendments made to the planning application are understood to centre around the proposed residential development next to the ground. GBP£2m has already been invested in the project.

Source: Nottingham Forest

Imagery, courtesy: Benoy

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