9 Sep 2009Council objects to new football stadium plans in Nottingham

Football Technology and Stadia

Nottingham Forest's plans to build a new stadium have come under threat after Nottinghamshire County Council refused to back the development.

Although the proposed site for the 45,000-seater venue has the support of the city council, the area is owned by the county council and the authority has insisted that it will not sanction any new developments on greenbelt land.

The stadium, which would be situated in the suburb of Gamston, is expected to form part of Nottingham's campaign to be host city if England stages the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

However, county council leader Kay Cutts told the BBC that the authority will only support a new stadium development on the site of Nottingham Forest's current home, the City Ground.

"We don't believe that changing the location of our premier ground is a good move - it's bad for football, bad for business, bad for local people and risks scuppering our bid to be a World Cup city," she said.

Nottingham is one of 16 locations aiming to become a host city for the 2018 FIFA World Cup bid, with a maximum of 12 places available.

Written by Mark Thompson

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