The City Ground expansion may not get under way until a new River Trent crossing has been built, after Nottingham Forest were told that closing lanes on Trent Bridge will not be an acceptable way of moving 20,000 extra supporters in and out of the ground on a matchday. The Nottingham Post reported on Tuesday that the club has now proposed that no building work begins until a scheme is in place to handle crowd flow – and has left open the possibility of funding a new crossing itself.
It is a significant shift in a planning saga that is already seven years old, and it lands in the same month that a decision is finally expected.
What has changed with the City Ground expansion
Forest’s planners had originally proposed closing two lanes on Trent Bridge on matchdays, creating room for the increased volume of pedestrians walking to and from the redeveloped stadium. Highways authorities rejected that idea. The club’s next proposal – the permanent closure of a lane on either side of the crossing – was also turned down.
With both options gone, Forest were told they should instead commit to funding the development of a new River Trent crossing to relieve the pressure on Trent Bridge. The club’s response has been to propose that the expansion itself is conditional: no work starts until a workable scheme for moving supporters exists.
In practice, that ties one of the largest infrastructure projects in the city’s recent history to a second, separate piece of infrastructure that does not yet have a route, a budget or a timetable.
‘Incredibly disappointing’
Steve Battlemuch, a Forest supporter and Nottingham city councillor who has followed the process closely, told the Nottingham Post the latest development was hard to take.
“I think it’s incredibly disappointing that we are at this stage where more and more objections are being found,” he said. “On the one hand you’ve got people saying they want to see what would be a major development, and then every objection under the sun is being put forward.”
Battlemuch also questioned the practicality of the alternative. “This isn’t rocket science, because there are a number of stadiums across the country that hold 60 or 70 thousand fans and Forest are only talking about 40 or 50 thousand,” he added. “All this is doable if there’s a bit of common sense put into it. I’m not opposed to yet another crossing over the Trent, but where would that go?”
That last question is the one nobody has answered. The councillor pointed to how long it took to deliver the pedestrian and cycle bridge already built over the Trent – hardly an encouraging precedent for a full road crossing.
Where the decision stands
Forest’s plans would take the City Ground from a capacity of around 30,000 to roughly 52,500, principally through the redevelopment of the Peter Taylor Stand. The club reached a draft agreement with Rushcliffe Borough Council in late August, a step that was widely read as clearing the way for approval.
A decision is still expected this month, but Rushcliffe has not confirmed a date. As we reported earlier on Tuesday, the council has said only that a dedicated planning meeting will be announced as soon as possible. Nothing has been granted yet.
For supporters, the practical takeaway is a familiar one. Even a green light this month would not mean diggers on the Trent End car park any time soon. The stadium itself – its stands, its history and why the Peter Taylor Stand is the one that has to go – is covered in our full City Ground guide.
On the pitch, Oliver Glasner’s side are still chasing a first win of 2026/27 and travel to Aston Villa on Saturday after the international break. Off it, the wait goes on.
