LISTEN: Decision expected on Aberdeen stadium application

A decision is expected today on Aberdeen Football Club’s plans for a new stadium at Kingsford.

Aberdeen city councillors will be asked to vote on the proposals at a special meeting of the local authority today.

Last week, council planners recommended the planning application be approved – but that is subject to a number of conditions.

A decision is expected today on Aberdeen Football Club’s plans for a new stadium at Kingsford.

Aberdeen city councillors will be asked to vote on the proposals at a special meeting of the local authority today.

Last week, council planners recommended the planning application be approved – but that is subject to a number of conditions.

So far today, councillors have been posing their questions to planners – with a number of issues coming up. That includes the Controlled Parking Zone that would be needed around any new stadium.

It would be up to Aberdeenshire Council to implement that, given the Kingsford site neighbours Aberdeenshire. Planning Officer Gavin Evans, when questioned on this has indicated that could essentially give elected members there a veto on the plans. This means the move, if approved, could be waylaid over that issue.

The club has always said the new facilities are vital to its future.

AFC chairman, Stewart Milne, said: "We are very pleased that the planners are recommending approval of our planning application for a community sports hub, training facilities and new stadium at Kingsford. This is welcome news for the Club, our fans and the wider community who back our plans.

"The additional information supplied in the last few months has helped reinforce the strength of our economic case and the need for co-location. We believe it also underlined that Kingsford is the only viable, suitable and therefore deliverable site for the Club.

"As with any major planning application, there will inevitably be some conditions attached to this approval and our commitment to the Council and to the local community is that, should the Councillors grant consent, we will meet the conditions and work hard to address both the real and perceived issues particularly around transportation and traffic management.

"The Club and its team of experts have now done everything we can and it is now up to our Councillors to weigh up the recommendation along with all the information in the application."

However, since the plans were unveiled back in May 2016, they've been met with fierce opposition from some people living nearby – with objectors wanted Aberdeen FC to look elsewhere.

There are a number of conditions to the application going through - and Pittodrie bosses will need to do a number of things including setting up a steering group to deal with the public transport to and from Kingsford.

It has been claimed the stadium and training ground would create more than 400 jobs and bring millions of pounds into the local economy.

One of the conditions also states that if Kingsford is approved at the Townhouse, breaking ground on the complex could still be waylaid by MSPs.

They have the right to "call-in" the application after a number of bodies refused to give Pittodrie bosses their backing - the site borders the two local authority areas. Formal notification will be given to the Scottish Government on the outcome of today's meeting.

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