Feature

Aberdeen urges Kingswells council to drop objection over new stadium

Aberdeen City Council has issued a plea for Kingswells Community Council to withdraw its objection over plans to build a new stadium and training facility for Scottish Premiership football club Aberdeen.

The club is hoping to construct its new home at Kingsford, near to the Aberdeen bypass, but the plans have attracted criticism from a number of parties over the location of the stadium on greenbelt land and how its position will impact traffic in the local area.

Kingswells Community Council has been open in its criticism of the project and, despite Aberdeen City Council, writing to the council to discourage any further action, looks set to stand by its objection.

According to the BBC, John Gerrie, former chairman of the community council who received the letter, said: “In professional terms, it steps beyond the boundary. The objection will stand.”

In response, a spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said: “As a local authority our role is to advise in line with the Aberdeen City Council Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils, Planning Protocol, Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and Planning Advice Note 47.

“The advice we have provided to Kingswells Community Council is that its objection does not appear to be consistent with the terms of the Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils. The grounds for this advice follow the receipt of complaints relating to the requirement for public consultation.

“Having been provided with this advice, the decision on how to proceed rests with the community council.”

Local councillors are due to make a decision over the case in October, with a pre-determination hearing scheduled to take place on September 13 at Aberdeen Town House.

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