NOTTINGHAM FOREST have unveiled fresh plans to expand the City Ground to hold 52,000 fans – and their vision has been backed by the Mayor of the East Midlands.
The Tricky Trees have been at their home since 1898 and owner Evangelos Marinakis has been keen to take the club to the next level.
Forest already have approval to increase the capacity of the City Ground to 35,000 by demolishing and rebuilding the Peter Taylor Stand.
But there are plans to submit a fresh planning application which would see the stadium increase to 52,000 seats.
And East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward is keen for the stunning project to be approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council.
She told the BBC: “I think, understandably, there are many fans who feel that they’ve been at this point in the past with talk about change and they wonder will it happen.
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“But I sense a real focus by this club, by the management and the ownership of the club, to get this done.
“This is the first time everybody is on the pitch genuinely wanting to see this ambitious project delivered.”
It is thought that work on the new proposals, which have been shown off by the club, could start by next summer if Forest are given the green light.
The Tricky Trees could initially aim for the City Ground to become a 45,000-capacity stadium before making further changes further down the line to take it up to 52,000.
Forest’s initial revamp plans were approved in 2022, following their return to the Premier League.
But that was put on hold when rows broke out with Nottingham City Council over rent, leading to Marinakis even considering building a new stadium last year.
Forest hired KSS Group – the architects who expanded Anfield – to renovate their 30,445-seater home in October.
At a pre-launch event at the City Ground, Ward claimed redeveloping the stadium and taking the capacity up to 52,000 would bring “huge benefits” for the city and wider area.
Forest will next be in action on home soil tomorrow, when they host Tottenham.
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