Court bid after Dons stadium wins backing
● Campaign group warns councillors failed to ‘apply law’
Campaigners will attempt to force a judicial review in an effort to block Aberdeen Football Club’s approved plans for a new £50 million stadium.
The 20,000-capacity stadium and training facilities that would be built at Kingsford won approval from the city council yesterday in an overwhelming majority vote.
But opponents have vowed to continue their fight amid claims the stadium would lead to traffic congestion and the loss of green belt on the city’s outskirts.
Aberdeen Football Club’s ambition to build a new £50 million stadium edged closer to being realised yesterday after the scheme won the approval of city councillors.
The Scottish Premiership club’s plans for the 20,000-capacity stadium and training facilities at Kingsford – seven miles west of the city – were approved by a 32 to nine majority in a special meeting of Aberdeen City Council.
The club’s chairman hailed the decision as a major step forward in the long-standing goal to move away from their existing Pittodrie ground.
However, it emerged related plans for parking facilities and a footbridge have to go through neighbouring Aberdeenshire Council, which has previously raised objections.
A campaign group, No Kingsford Stadium, has already announced its intention to force a judicial review and the Scottish Government could have the final say on the proposal.
The club has long regarded the new stadium as a vital way of boosting its revenue and has pointed out its construction will create more than 400 jobs and bring millions of pounds into the North-east economy.
But the plans have been beset by controversy.
Those opposed to it have repeatedly warned it would lead to traffic congestion and the loss of green belt on the city’s outskirts.
The council’s planners recommended approval subject to conditions and conclusion of a planning obligation securing developer contributions relating to core paths, and the setting up and operation of a public transport steering group.
In a statement following the special local authority meeting, Aberdeen’s chairman Stewart Milne said: “After 17 years, we are one step closer to a new home that will allow us to meet our vision and ambition for Aberdeen Football Club, our city and our region.
“Together we can deliver a first-class facility that will make us all proud, unlocking the potential of the club, the trust and the next generation of football stars and making a positive contribution to the local economy.
“We applaud the councillors for taking this decision in the face of considerable objections.
“We are fully aware of and sympathetic to those in Westhill and Kingswells who have objected to our plans and I want to reassure them once more that we want to engage with them to deliver community facilities they can all enjoy and benefit from.”
But the No Kingsford Stadium group said the councillors who had given the green light to the application failed to “apply the law”, stressing it would continue its fight
A statement from the group said: “No Kingsford Stadium has worked tirelessly to prevent the approval of this application.
“We have shown that the application is contrary to the development plan and our position is supported by the strategic planning authority, Aberdeenshire Council, and the local community councils.
“We commissioned an independent review of the economic case, which found that Aberdeen FC had ‘grossly overestimated’ the impact.”
The group added: “It is our view that council officials and councillors have failed in their duty to apply the law in this case and we will now progress our petition for judicial review.”
Aberdeen fans who have been hearing about proposals for a new stadium for almost 20 years won’t be getting carried away just yet, but it appears the club are finally counting down to the start of work on a new £50 million ground.
A planning application for a 20,000-seater arena and an associated training facility at Kingsford was approved by the city council yesterday, and after the vote Dons chairman Stewart Milne said: “There’s obviously quite a lot of legal issues that need to be tied up but, all being well, we hope to be on site in the summer and have the first phase delivered by summer next year.
“The target at the moment is that we can start playing there in season 2021-22.”
The move, however, appears to signal the beginning of the end for Pittodrie Stadium, which first hosted an Aberdeen game in 1899 and has been the home of the current incarnation of the club since 1903.
The ground has hosted many glory games and memorable nights and here we look at its history and five of the greatest games played on the famous old pitch.