LeadershipNot yet confirmed elsewhere1 publisher2 min readPublished
City Ground residents will likely pay for permits in the parking zone Forest is funding
Nottingham Forest will pay £990,000 for a controlled parking zone covering about 4,800 spaces near the City Ground, with residents likely buying their own permits. What living in the zone will cost locals is now up to the councils, and the club's share was already fixed when planning permission was granted.
The Board Room · Leadership desk
What happened
- Forest agreed to put £4.17m into local travel and transport infrastructure as part of planning permission to raise the stadium's capacity from 31,000 to 52,000.
- The streets around the City Ground are already heavily congested on match days, and concerns have been raised about a 68 per cent rise in footfall once work is done.
- Rushcliffe Borough Council's planning committee did not require the club to fund residents' permits, despite suggestions that it should, City AM reported.
- Phase one rebuilds the Peter Taylor Stand and upgrades the Trent End, while phase two, covering the Brian Clough Stand, is yet to be fully ratified.
Why it matters
- exposure Households within a 25-minute walk of the stadium come under a new controlled parking regime, and any permit charge falls on them outside Forest's planning obligation.
- decision On Forest's own account, any club money reaching permit holders would depend on the county council choosing to spend the contribution that way.
- cost Forest's transport bill is set at about 0.5 per cent of the £790m project, while what residents pay stays open until a permit price is set.
The planning committee that settled Forest's obligation [6] and the body that spends the money are different councils. According to sources close to the club, the county council decides how the contribution is spent [7].
Spread over about 4,800 spaces, the £990,000 for the parking zone comes to roughly £206 a space [11]. Add the £424,900 for walking and cycling routes [4] and the two items City AM listed total £1.41m [12] of the £4.17m package [2]. The report did not say how the remaining £2.76m [13] will be used, or what a residents' permit will cost.
The capacity figures explain the concern. Taking the ground from 31,000 seats to 52,000 adds 21,000 [14], a rise of about 68 per cent [16]. That matches the footfall increase behind the congestion concerns [3]. Forest's £4.17m for transport is about 0.5 per cent of the £790m cost of the project [15].
Forest declined to comment. City AM reported a backlash from residents [1]. Sources close to the club insisted it would make a significant financial contribution, and that how the money was spent was up to the county council [7]. On who spends the £4.17m, the club's line holds. On permits, the council has already answered: it confirmed the £990,000 does not include a provision for them [8].
The timing is open. No official start date has been confirmed for the £790m project [10]. In my view, the committee decided whether residents would pay. How much they pay will be decided when a permit price is set. The next planning decision on the stadium is the ratification of phase two, the Brian Clough Stand [9].
What to watch
- Whether the county council sets a permit price for the zone, and whether any of Forest's £4.17m is used to offset it.
- Whether ratification of phase two, the Brian Clough Stand, comes with further transport or permit conditions.
- A confirmed start date for the £790m works.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence50
- Adoption
- Insufficient
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives
- Insufficient
- Confidence50
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
Nottingham Forest are facing a backlash from local residents who could be left out of pocket by the club's £790m expansion of the City Ground.
- [2]
As part of the planning permission granted to increase the capacity of the 31,000-seater City Ground to 52,000, Forest agreed to contribute £4.17m towards improving surrounding travel and transport infrastructure.
- [3]
The area around the City Ground is already heavily congested on match days, and concerns have been raised about the impact of a 68 per cent increase in footfall when work is complete.
- [4]
The transport upgrades include £424,900 for improved walking and cycling routes.
- [5]
The upgrades include £990,000 for a new controlled parking zone covering street parking within a 25-minute walk of the stadium, affecting around 4,800 spaces.
- [6]
Rushcliffe Borough Council's planning committee did not require Forest to fund residents' permits, despite suggestions they should, meaning locals will likely be forced to pay for their own.
- [7]
Forest declined to comment, with sources insisting the club would make a significant financial contribution and it was up to the county council to determine how it was spent.
- [8]
The council confirmed the £990,000 does not include a provision for parking permits.
- [9]
Phase one of the expansion will see the Peter Taylor Stand demolished and rebuilt alongside major upgrades to the Trent End; phase two, yet to be fully ratified, will redevelop the Brian Clough Stand.
- [10]
No official start date has been confirmed for the £790m project.
- [11]
The £990,000 parking zone budget works out at roughly £206 per space across about 4,800 spaces.
- [12]
The parking zone and walking and cycling items together total about £1.41m.
- [13]
About £2.76m of the £4.17m contribution is not accounted for by the two itemised upgrades.
- [15]
Forest's £4.17m transport contribution is about 0.5 per cent of the £790m project cost.
- [16]
The capacity increase from 31,000 to 52,000 is about 68 per cent.
Sources
1 independent publisher whose own reporting we read for this story.
- cityam.comNottingham Forest facing backlash as City Ground expansion set to hit residents in pocket
1 article · October 6, 2026
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