A decision will be made this week on plans to transform Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning committee will meet on Thursday (July 28) at 2.30pm to consider the club’s application. And, in a significant step, the Council’s planning application report has recommended approval of the application.
The public meeting will be streamed live on the Council’s YouTube channel. Approval would be a momentous moment for the Reds, with promotion to the Premier League only underlining the need to increase the ground’s capacity.
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Work had been due to begin in the summer of 2020 - with the aim of a 15-month completion - starting with knocking down and rebuilding the Peter Taylor Stand. However, that was put on hold due to delays in the planning process.
Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, a committee report sets out a new proposed timetable for the redevelopment. Among other things, it also outlines the economic benefits completion of the project could bring. We take a look at the key points.
Plans and timescale
Forest want to knock down and rebuild the Peter Taylor Stand, increasing it to a capacity of 10,000 seats, up from its current 5,000. The stand would be split between four floors and would become the ground’s tallest stand.
Demolition work would start next summer, with the intention to complete the rebuilding by the end of the 2023/24 season. The report states: “In terms of phasing, it is anticipated that the Peter Taylor stand would be demolished at the end of the current football season. It is intended to phase the construction, which may allow the lower tier to be operational first with the intention that the upper tier would be fully operational by the end of the following football season.”
The redevelopment would also incorporate a new public realm, car parking and associated works. “The overall priority is to improve the capacity of the City Ground and provide
improved spectator and conferencing facilities within the stadium,” it is said.
The redeveloped stand would “accommodate a series of business and commercial activities”, allowing for it to act as a venue for conferences, other events and private hire.
The hospitality suites and boxes would be available for conferencing, third-party hire and community use on non-match days. The largest of those would offer up to 1,200 capacity.
Additionally, the improved facilities would “allow for wide-ranging community use”. The rooms and facilities, it is said, would “be offered to local community groups for use and hire”.
Previously, there have been planning issues with the proposed residential development next to the stadium. The report outlines a planning application for up to 170 residential units in a 13-storey apartment block.
It is said: “It is anticipated that the development would be phased over a number of
years, with obligations requiring the stadium to be completed prior to the housing. The Club would in part sell the housing site to fund the stadium’s construction.”
Economic impact
When the plans were first announced, it was said the project could have a huge impact on the local economy. A 10-year projection suggested a £0.6 billion boost, with the potential for that to double with promotion to the Premier League.
The committee report says the “development overall, would contribute £79m to the local economy per year until 2034 and would create 264 new jobs”. That would potentially be a £804m boost to the economy over a decade.
A total of 253 jobs would “be sustained through the construction period”. And it is said: “As a result of the proposals, it is anticipated that there would be 100 new full time (non-playing) jobs created and a 20 percent increase in temporary or causal staff (64 new positions). This estimate is made on the basis that the stand is completed and Premier League football is maintained. If the club is playing in the Championship, employment figures are reduced.”
Matchday visitor expenditure would see an additional £55.6m per annum spent on goods and services outside the ground as a result of the stand’s rebuild, it is claimed. That would be reduced by about 20 percent if Forest are relegated to the Championship.
New conference facilities would also bring in revenue. The report says these, and the impact of non-match day events such as concerts, could add £3.68m to the local economy every year and support up to 120 jobs.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has already shown his commitment to the project, with more than £2m spent directly related to the scheme. Total cost for the redevelopment is now estimated to be about £94.4m.
Approval recommended
Although there are objections to the plans, the committee report states: “It is considered that the proposal would contribute towards the regeneration of the area through optimising the use of brownfield sites and by enhancing the local economy. It would also be an opportunity to improve the financial sustainability of NFFC, retaining its home in the Borough, which would maintain its heritage and identity and help secure and expand its existing community and sporting role in the region.
“The proposed new housing, commercial uses, and environmental improvements (in the form of a plaza) would add to this regeneration, provide housing choice, and help stimulate
local economic activity. Taking all these matters into account and balancing the benefits of the development against the harm, the granting of planning permission is recommended given the overall positive social, economic, and environmental impacts of the proposal.”
In conclusion, it is said: “The primary objective of the application is the provision of a replacement for the existing Peter Taylor Stand for NFFC. The existing Peter Taylor stand is
outdated, and lacks facilities usually associated with a modern football stadium. The current stand limits opportunities to generate match day income from hospitality and sponsors, and to attract and retain new supporters.
“These matters would assist in putting NFFC on a more sustainable financial footing. An updated Impact Assessment identifies that the development would contribute £804m to the local economy until 2034, and that it would create an additional 364 full-time jobs (above the present baseline condition of Premier League football). These matters weigh significantly in favour of the proposed development.”
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