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Plans to expand Nottingham Forest’s City Ground have been approved by councillors.

A scheme to redevelop the City Ground was first put forward in 2019 but has been given greater urgency since the club’s promotion to the Premier League.

The total cost for the project is now expected to be in excess of £94m.

Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning committee voted to approve plans which will see the ground’s capacity increase to 35,000 at a meeting on Thursday.

Councillors voted for the plans by 9 to 2 following a lengthy debate.

Speaking in the meeting, a spokesperson for the club told councillors the development will deliver a “sense of pride”.

He said: “There’s a real prospect of delivering a key piece of sporting infrastructure, it’s great for the club, the borough, the city and wider area.

“That sense of pride, I think, will be very important. The architecture is fantastic, as well as the space around the building, the new plaza.”

The club previously said it was important to ensure its home remained on the banks of the River Trent, rather than relocating to a newly-built stadium.

Forest have played at the City Ground which has a current capacity of about 30,000 since 1898, but the stadium has not seen any major development for 25 years.

Following the decision, the club said: “We believe that the development of the site is crucial to maintaining the club’s status in the Premier League and all of the benefits to the local community and economy which this status brings.

“The decision now opens the door to the Club to have detailed discussions with its advisers and partners on how and when the development will be delivered.

“These discussions will be undertaken as soon as practicable and the club remains determined to provide the wonderful supporters of the Club with a stadium of which they can be truly proud in the modern era.”