The agency currently occupying the building just purchased by the club has confirmed the earliest date it could leave
nottinghampost
06:00, 12 Jul 2026
Nottingham Forest's City Ground
View 3 Images
Nottingham Forest's City Ground(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)
Nottingham Forest will not be able to do anything with the £5 million building it has just purchased for another two years, as the club's chairman reveals its "aspiration" for the City Ground's future.
The Nottingham Post recently reported that the Reds had purchased the Environment Agency's Trentside offices for £5 million.
The offices are situated right next to the City Ground and there has been speculation that the purchase could be related to Forest's stadium expansion plans.
An Environment Agency spokesperson has now told the Nottingham Post that its staff are set to remain on-site for at least the next two years, saying the existing lease does not expire until 2028.
The spokesperson said that beyond 2028, the Environment Agency is in conversation with its new landlord about its "future" at the current location.
Nicholas Randall KC, Nottingham Forest's chairman, would not yet divulge the club's plans for the Environment Agency purchase.
Nicholas Randall KC, the club's chairman, said the redevelopment of the historic site is symbolic of the Reds 'going back to the roots'
View 3 Images
Nicholas Randall KC, Nottingham Forest's chairman(Image: George Palmer-Soady/Nottingham Post)
Councillor Steve Battlemuch, a Nottingham city councillor and Reds fan, previously speculated about why the club may have purchased the Trentside offices.
The councillor said it may have been done to provide a new location for the boat clubs that will have to move as part of the City Ground expansion - with planners making it clear that they will only back proposals if new locations for those clubs are found.
Councillor Battlemuch added: "The club has got big ambitions to have hospitality and conferencing at the ground, so whether the purchase is to expand that stand further back or to have different car parking facilities available, I don't know, but I think it shows the ambition of the owner that they want that whole area around the ground to be available."
Yet asked whether he could disclose how Forest would use the Environment Agency offices, Mr Randall said: "Not at this stage, but we have bought those premises, that's correct."
An image displayed at Nottingham Forest's public exhibition - showing how the revamped ground would look from Trent Bridge
View 3 Images
How the revamped City Ground would look from Trent Bridge(Image: Joseph Raynor/Nottingham Post )
On the wider project to expand the City Ground, the club chairman commented on when he was hoping to receive planning approval. He said: "We're hoping to land in September basically, that's our aspiration."
The Reds first unveiled City Ground expansion plans back in 2019 and approval was given in the summer of 2025, but the club then unveiled even more ambitious plans in December 2025.
The new Peter Taylor Stand would be 58-metres tall under the latest plans and the overall capacity could end up going from the current 30,000 to 52,500 - though the initial focus of the plans will be on getting capacity to 45,000.
Article continues below
An agreement has recently been reached between Forest and Rushcliffe Borough Council, the authority that will have to give approval, to work towards an approval date of September 16.
The initial building phase will be focused on the Peter Taylor Stand expansion and the Trent End corners, which would take capacity to 45,000.
The focus would then be on the redevelopment of the Brian Clough Stand to grow capacity by another 7,500 - with the overall project set for completion in 2033.