Aberdeen City Councillors say Yes to Kingsford
They voted by 32 to 9 in favour
Last updated 31st Jan 2018
Aberdeen City councillors have voted in favour of the Dons’ plans for a new £50 million stadium and training complex at Kingsford near Westhill.
They've given the thumbs up to the development by 32 votes to 9.
A special meeting held at the council's HQ today after the proposals were put on hold last October, went on for nearly six hours.
AFC 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.
"I'd like to sincerely thank all those who have supported our plans and the AURORA campaign: our fans, businesses, community groups, sports organisations and individuals.
"I'd also like to pay tribute to our team of advisers and experts who have worked professionally, effectively and tirelessly for almost two years on this application.
"The next steps are to await final approval from the Scottish Government, agree the section 75, work through the conditions with the Council, and secure the necessary road and building warrant consents. Assuming these move at pace, we should be in a position to begin construction of phase one this summer."
Aberdeen fans' group Dons Supporters Together (DST) has welcomed Aberdeen City Council's decision to approve the application.
DST spokesman, Gordon Duncan, said: "From a football and community perspective the case for a new facility was undeniable but the Aberdeen support is the group to whom the stadium means the most and they will determine whether it is a success or not.
"We believe that fans are the moral owners of the football club and they should have the most considerable influence in the design and features of the stadium."
Fans have shown an appetite for a safe standing section in the new stadium, as well as a 'fan zone' area to provide pre and post-match entertainment.
"This is an incredible opportunity for the club to create a special matchday experience blending the modern and traditional. Should the Club want the fans to show up in numbers, pay their money and support their team then this has to be a stadium for them. With this blank slate, AFC has a unique chance to create that."
No Kingsford Stadium group who are against the plans are threatening a legal challenge on the planning application.
In a statement campaigners said: " We 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 AFC had “grossly over estimated” the impact.
"It is our view that Council Officials and Councilors have failed in their duty to apply the law in this case and we will now progress our petition for Judicial Review."