Nottingham Forest Football Club have submitted their application to Rushcliffe Borough Council for the exciting redevelopment of the Peter Taylor Main Stand which will if the go ahead is granted start in the summer of 2020 (subject to planning permission).

The 10,000 seater stand will be state of the art offering a higher quality match day experience with larger concourses and more modern facilities including bars and restaurants with hospitality playing a major factor with the expected creation of over 300 jobs once the stand is complete.

Club Chairman Nicholas Randall stated “We are delighted to announce this latest step in our journey. I would like to thank all of those who provided feedback and showed their support for the new stand. More than 8,000 people submitted responses during the public consultation week alone, with 99.5% of the feedback showing a positive reaction. In addition to this we received over 60 letters of support from local, regional and national institutions, groups and businesses.

“Ensuring the long-term presence of the club in the local area is essential to the vision of our owner Mr Marinakis. We have made it our priority to listen to our neighbours and local businesses to understand their requirements for the broader economic and social benefits linked to the development in the area.”

Randall suggested “Everyone involved has worked tirelessly over the past ten months to collate and consult with various stakeholders involved in the project to ensure we deliver a stadium that benefits not only our supporters but also our local community and its businesses.”

“This is evidenced by the new jobs the redevelopment is expected to produce. Currently the club sustains more than 850 additional jobs locally with this number expected to grow to more than 1,125 when the new stand is complete. This number will grow further to at least 1,450 when Premier League football is achieved.”

“In addition to the economic and social benefits, the new stand will also enable us to develop high-quality spaces in order to create a vibrant hub for community-based activity. This will open up opportunities for more diverse and inclusive programmes for all our people and in particular the young to participate in.”

On the Greek owners contribution to the cause Randall was full of praise in saying “This statement of intent from Mr Marinakis again emphasises his long-term commitment to the club and his determination to create the conditions for sustained success.”

“We are delighted that the many months of work with the club and its experienced consultant team saw the submission of the detailed planning application, a major milestone in our journey to improve The City Ground.”

“We will continue to work with the local planning team at Rushcliffe and other key stakeholders towards the application being heard at committee in the first quarter of 2020.”

“The Peter Taylor Stand is of course the first phase of the work we expect to see at The City Ground and this first phase will kick start an exciting period of overall improvement for the club.”

“I am also thrilled that we have had so many positive comments on the design itself. As Nottinghamshire designers, Benoy recognise the heritage of The City Ground. It has been built up over years as a series of ‘stands’, each individual and with their own characteristics and we don’t play in a ‘bowl’ but in a stadium of real individuality.”

“The new stand will enhance further the sense of The City Ground being a unique, urban and compact ‘city’ stadium. We have never set out to homogenise the stadium but play on its heritage, we know the fans see the ground as their ‘unique’ home and not a ‘faceless arena’.”

*Main image @NFFC a drawing of how the City Ground will look after works are completed should planning be approved by Rushclifef Borough Council.