Meeting offer over Aberdeen FC stadium protests rejected

An offer from Aberdeen FC chairman Stewart Milne to meet opponents of the club's new stadium has been rejected.

Aberdeen City Council's planning department formally approved the £50m project at Kingsford, near Westhill.

The club hopes to begin construction of the 20,000-capacity stadium in June.

Mr Milne said an invitation had been extended to the No Kingsford Stadium (NKS) group to "find a way of working together", but NKS said it would be "inappropriate".

The protest group is raising funds for a judicial review.

Mr Milne said: "We've extended an invitation to NKS to sit down with us and find a way of working together that is in the community's best interests."

'Fundamentally opposed'

NKS responded on Twitter: "Our group represents thousands of local residents who are opposed to the principle of stadium development and erosion of greenbelt.

"Inappropriate to meet as we are fundamentally opposed to this development. Happy to speak with Mr Milne should AFC abandon plans for Kingsford."

The stadium plans were put on hold last October but the council approved them in January.

The plans will not be called in by the Scottish government.