Aberdeen's £50m stadium plans bound in red tape

Aberdeen have had their planning bid for a new '¨Â£50 million stadium delayed after being asked to provide councillors with more details.

An artist's impression of the Kingsford stadium

The Dons’ application to build their new ground, training base and community sports hub at Kingsford had been due to go before city councillors next month.

But the vote scheduled for 21 June will now likely have to wait until October after the council and consultees requested more information on the blueprints, including additional environmental surveys.

The scheme has been met with opposition from local residents who do not want the stadium built on their doorstep.

Aberdeen FC executives say they have “already provided comprehensive information, reports and studies” to support their application but have agreed to re-submit their bid with the details requested in order to ensure the right decision is reached.

Aberdeen’s executive vice-chairman George Yule said: “Although this is later than we had hoped, we are confident that if planning permission is granted in October we will still meet the original target timescales of completing the community sports campus and football training academy in 2018 and the new stadium for the 2020/21 season.

“This important development will deliver real benefit in sporting, social and economic terms for stakeholders and we look forward to it being considered on its merits. We provided the additional information requested as part of a positive and co-operative two-way process between the club and the city council, both of whom are committed to ensuring that the application brought forward is considered rigorously against a comprehensive package of supporting information.”

However, Yule warned that any further delays could hurt manager Derek McInnes’ first team.

“A delay of a few weeks at this stage is not unduly concerning as we can make specific adjustments to our project schedule,” he said.

“However, further slippage, beyond October, or a negative outcome will result in us missing our target timescales and this will have a material impact on the club’s ability to recruit and retain talent and to maintain our current position within Scottish football at a time when our football staff are delivering success for the city, the local community and the club.”

The Dons want to quit Pittodrie, which costs more than £700,000 a year to maintain.