Nottingham Forest have been “offered a last resort” new home at a site formerly earmarked for development related to HS2. Talks over the renewal of the club’s lease of the City Ground have stalled in recent months.
Nottingham City Council, which owns the land, says it has been in talks with the Premier League club about its future at the ground, where the Reds have played since 1898. A group of Nottinghamshire County councillors are now suggesting the club could move to land near Toton Railway Station, which was bought by the authority with a view to take advantage of the benefits linked to HS2.
However, after the cancellation of the Eastern leg of the multi-billion pound project, Independent Alliance councillors say this could be used as a “last resort” for Forest’s home. The opposition group is proposing a motion for an upcoming meeting which reads: “To explore options with stakeholders at Nottingham Forest Football Club and others to try to secure the future of the club. This may include whether there are any potentially suitable County Council sites which may be marketed for disposal in future.”
Independent Selston councillor David Martin said: “We have watched with increasing frustration at the breakdown of talks over a new lease between Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Forest. This has led to uncertainty for the future of Nottingham Forest remaining at the world-famous City Ground that it has called home since 1898.
“It’s clear that as a county council, we need to reach out to the club which is an economic powerhouse for our county. Toton already has the infrastructure including a tram stop and railway station.
“Any new stadium at Toton will far surpass the current capacity of the City Ground. If Nottinghamshire County Council were serious about helping the club expand – then exploring options at this stage is eminently sensible and would only be a last resort.”
