Aberdeenshire Council renews Aberdeen FC Kingsford stadium objection

Aberdeenshire Council has renewed its objection to Aberdeen FC's proposals for a new stadium.

The club put plans for the £50m stadium and training facilities at Kingsford, near Westhill, on hold in October.

A special meeting of Aberdeen City Council will rule on the plans on 29 January.

Aberdeenshire Council said it accepted work had been done to justify why Kingsford was the preferred site, but it was maintaining its objection.

Aberdeen FC said Kingsford needed to be delivered as soon as possible.

Potential impact

A fresh pre-determination hearing will take place next Wednesday.

In its response to the public consultation, the local authority said economic statements in support of the application were based on optimistic assumptions.

It also said a footbridge planned to take supporters from a car park across the A944 dual carriageway was unlikely to be suitable, and traffic assessments did not fully reflect the potential impact of match-day travel.

However, the club says the new stadium is vital to its future.

More than 100 people protested earlier this week

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

Raymond Edgar, project director for Kingsford, said: "The main objections remain around loss of greenbelt and traffic.

"We believe our economic case demonstrates that the benefits to both the local communities and the region's economy by far outweigh the need to maintain greenbelt status for the previous landfill site at Kingsford.

'Safe and easy'

"We've produced a traffic management and transportation strategy which has satisfied Aberdeen City Council's roads department and which we believe will make getting to and from the stadium safe and easy with measures to mitigate any impact on local residents and road users.

"To ensure continued on-the-pitch performance for the club, and for the region to capitalise on the economic benefits our plans will bring, we must deliver Kingsford as soon as possible."

Objectors want the club to look elsewhere.