Nottingham Forest's plans to upgrade the City Ground are close to being finalised.
The club first revealed plans to revamp the stadium in 2019 with the intention of turning it into a world-class venue.
Work was due to begin after the final home game of last season, starting with knocking down and rebuilding the Peter Taylor Stand, but it was put on hold - with “delays in the planning process” cited.
But a year on, Forest chairman Nicholas Randall QC has confirmed the club are in the final stages of the planning process for the project.
Owner Evangelos Marinakis is said to still be committed to the scheme, with more than £2m having already been spent on costs directly related to the redevelopment plan.
The club now hope to be in a position where they can soon update their planning application for submission as they anticipate a decision in the summer.
Here's everything you need to know about the planned development...
Nicholas Randall provides update
“It is a huge project for us,” Randall said in a Q&A with the Supporters’ Trust this week. “We think it is absolutely vital for the future of the club that we can upgrade the stadium, and the Peter Taylor Stand, in particular.
“We’ve made considerable progress. I appreciate some people are frustrated, but the reality is we have actually made good progress on it.
“We are now at the stage where we should be updating our planning application for submission very soon.
“We would hope to have a decision this summer.
“Obviously we want the permission to proceed, but we knew when we made the decision that we wanted to develop the Peter Taylor Stand and stay on this current site - rather than move to another site - that there would be challenges which come with that.
“We’ve had to go through all the relevant stages of consultation.”
Forest accounts reveal optimism
The club provided an update on plans to transform their stadium in their latest set of accounts, which were released in March.
A report in their accounts for 2019/20 said: “The club is committed to improving the fan experience at the City Ground.
“As part of this plan, investment has continued into the planning of a new Peter Taylor Stand which would see capacity of the venue increase to 35,000.
“Many specialist agencies have been engaged to assist the club in the delivery of this project including architects, construction firms, engineering groups, traffic consultants and environmental experts.
“As at the end of the financial year, the club has incurred more than £2m in costs directly related to the stadium redevelopment plan.
“Redeveloping a stadium in an established residential area has added complexity, but the club is optimistic that the application will be successful during the 2021 calendar year.”
Redevelopment plans
In 2019, Forest set out their plans to give their home a significant face-lift, with increasing the capacity of the Peter Taylor Stand a central feature.
Seating plans for the new stand were revealed at the end of 2019, with more than 8,000 'standard' seats split over three tiers.
The initial proposal would see a total of 10,000 seats installed in the Peter Taylor Stand, with 8,043 classed as ‘standard’ seating split over three tiers for supporters.
Included within the plans are a further 840 ‘business’ seats, 722 ‘VIP’ seats, 152 ‘technical’ seats, 132 corporate box seats, along with 54 media and 55 disabled seats.
