Nottingham Forest fans will be able to enjoy the fan zone at the City Ground for at least the next five years. A retrospective planning application for the 1,100-capacity entertainment space in the Brian Clough car park was approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council on June 26.
The area, which opened in December last year, is used by fans before and after games on matchdays and includes bars serving food and drink, a merchandise unit, a covered standing/seating area with stage including TV screen, covered standalone drink dispensers, and toilets. The club say the facility is “crucial in offering facilities expected of a football club playing in the Premier League”.
The facility is also used for international games and fans can currently watch England in action in the 2024 European Championship on the big screen. Original plans submitted in October were for a maximum capacity of 500 people but the planning officer’s report shows it can now accommodate up to 1,100 fans.
The fan zone is able to operate from 9am until 11pm every day of the year. The planning officer’s report added: “To conclude, the design of the proposed Fan Zone and associated structures are considered acceptable and would not cause harm to the character of the area.
“Further, the issues initially raised in relation to the crime prevention, parking provision of the site and the impacts of this on highway safety have been adequately addressed throughout the application process. It is also considered that the proposed scheme would be acceptable in terms of impacts to residential amenity, flooding, and biodiversity net gain.
“Taking all these matters into account, and balancing the social, environmental, and economic benefits that would arise from the development against the residual harm, it is recommended that planning permission be granted subject to a series of planning conditions.”