The Premier League team Nottingham forest look set to stay at their residence – the City Ground in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England (UK) – after the Nottingham City Council agreed to sell the stadium’s land to the club, ending months of stalemate on its future.
stated that the new land deal includes conditions to ensure the club stays at the stadium “for a long time to come”, the Council said.
It has been agreed by the two parties but not yet officially signed.
forest football club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, England (UK). The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.
The city ground is a football stadium in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England (UK) on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to the Nottingham Forest F.C. since 1898 and has a capacity of 30,455.
The Nottingham City Council is the local authority for the City of Nottingham (UK) in the ceremonial County of Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. Nottingham has had a Council from the medieval times which has been reformed on numerous occasions.
The Ground, on the banks of the River Trent, sits on a land owned by the Council which has been leased to the club on a long-term agreement.
The current lease has 33 years to run but talks on a new lease between the club and the Council broke down earlier this year.
‘BBC’ further stated that a fresh agreement is seen as critical for the club’s existing plans to redevelop the stadium which would expand its capacity from 29,000 to 40,000 through the rebuilding of the Peter Taylor Stand and extension of the Bridgford Stand.
Negotiations collapsed after the Council asked for a larger sum for the lease following Forest’s promotion to the Premier League.
The authority was looking to increase rent from £250,000 to about £1m per year.
Alternatively, it offered to sell the freehold to the site to the club.
Talks between the Council and the club had since been at an impasse leading Forest to say they were considering a potential move to Toton in Nottinghamshire to create a new 50,000-capacity stadium.
However, on July 8th, Neghat Khan, the new leader of the Council, said a deal to sell the land to the club outright had been “agreed in principle”.
It will be subject to approval by the Council’s Executive Board at a public meeting on July 16th meaning reports on the deal will be made public in the coming days.
Enthused Khan, “I’m pleased to announce that we have agreed in principle to the sale of the City Ground to Nottingham Forest all subject to the Executive Board approval next Tuesday (July 16th). It’s a great deal for the Forest supporters, for the club and also the Nottingham taxpayers. It now means we can focus our resources on tackling other issues we have. But this is a great news story.”