Aberdeen FC stadium court legal challenge submitted

Campaigners opposed to Aberdeen FC's plans for a new stadium have submitted their legal challenge.

The £50m 20,000-seater development is at Kingsford, near Westhill.

Plans were put on hold last October but the council approved them in January by a vote of 32-9.

The No Kingsford Stadium group is opposed to the plans, and said late on Friday that it had begun the court process of seeking a judicial review, ahead of the Sunday deadline.

Diane Reid of No Kingsford Stadium said: "We wish to thank all those who have supported us. We believe Aberdeen City Council has failed in its duty to properly determine this application.

"We are confident that the court process will bring independent and impartial scrutiny to the decision and that we have a real prospect of success."

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: "We note proceedings have been raised in relation to the planning consent granted for the Kingsford development.

"Aberdeen City Council will follow due process and it would not be appropriate to comment further on an active legal matter."

Project director Raymond Edgar said: "The club has yet to be formally notified of the apparent challenge of the council's decision to grant planning permission for the community sports hub, training facilities and new stadium.

"If a challenge has been submitted, it will be for the court to review the process and determine if there are grounds for a judicial review."

The group has been raising funds for the review.

The start of the construction phase for the new stadium began earlier this month.

Aberdeen FC believes the new facilities are vital to its future, but objectors say the stadium should be located elsewhere.

The plans were not called in by the Scottish government.

The community sports hub and football training facilities are due to be completed in Summer 2019, with the stadium set to be open for the 2021/22 season.