Nottingham Forest have cleared a major planning hurdle after local authorities approved the ambitious expansion of the City Ground — a redevelopment that would push the stadium's capacity up by as many as 21,300 seats, a rise of 68 percent.

The approval marks a significant milestone for a club that has been discussing stadium redevelopment for at least seven years, with little to show beyond a temporary stand built from shipping containers and a handful of cosmetic upgrades. The last time the City Ground underwent meaningful structural work, Stuart Pearce and Stan Collymore were still pulling on the red shirt.

A second approval — and bigger ambitions

This is not, however, the first time planning permission has been granted. Authorities approved a more modest expansion to 35,000 seats just over a year ago, but that proposal was quietly shelved. Having established themselves in the Premier League across several consecutive seasons and completed a European campaign, Forest's ambitions had grown — and so had their plans.

The new proposals are on a far grander scale, requiring fresh planning scrutiny and a new round of approvals. Head coach Oliver Glasner, speaking ahead of Forest's home fixture against Coventry, confirmed he had spoken directly with club owner Evangelos Marinakis about the expansion earlier that week.