Judicial Review finds in favour of Aberdeen FC’s plans to develop new stadium

Aberdeen Football Club were notified last Friday morning that a Judicial Review has found in favour of the club’s plans to develop its new stadium.

Following the outcome of the judicial review, AFC Chairman, Stewart Milne, commented:

The outcome of the judicial review is welcome news for the club, the Council and the wider region. We can now confidently complete phase one, the community sports hub and training facilities, and start moving towards delivery of phase two, AFC’s new stadium.

 

We’ve already been engaging positively with local residents and community groups who support our plans. But, following today’s decision, we will reach out to the whole community, even those who have objected to the plans, so that we can work positively with them to deliver a community sports hub that meets their aspirations, best-in-class football training facilities and, ultimately, a stadium that the whole region can be proud of.

Project Stats

The planning application to Aberdeen City Council for the 24.5 hectare site at Kingsford includes community and sports facilities; a football academy comprising outdoor pitches, pavilion and ancillary buildings; and a 20,000-seat capacity stadium along with associated access roads, parking, landscaping and engineering works.

Subject to planning approval, the proposals will see more than £50m invested to create a new home for the Dons; provide a base for the significant expansion of the award-winning work of Aberdeen FC Community Trust on social inclusion, participation in sport and healthy lifestyles for all ages across the region; and create a focal point for footballing excellence in the north of Scotland.

The project will be delivered in two phases, with the community and sports facilities and football academy constructed first and the stadium in the second phase. Phase 1 of the Aberdeen FC project will deliver essential, best-in-class professional training facilities, providing outstanding youth development opportunities and acting as a hub for community use seven days a week, including multiple playing pitches and a technologically advanced pavilion. Phase 2 includes the development of the Club’s new 20,000-capacity stadium, the largest new-build stadium in Scotland in 100 years.

Aberdeen-based McIntosh Plant Hire began the initial earthworks and ground remediation in preparation for the building works towards the end of last year, with main contractor works having commenced back in December. The existing team of experts, who have been working on the plans throughout the planning process, are all Aberdeen-based and include Burness Paull, Fairhursts, Halliday Fraser Munro, TMC, McLeod & Aitken and TUV-SUD.

Morrison Construction are the principal contractor for the construction of the community sports hub and football training facilities at Kingsford. They took control of the site as soon as the earthworks were finished and will now project manage the construction of all the various elements through to completion, which is expected to be summer 2019. This will include the construction of the training pavilion, groundsman’s accommodation, three professional training pitches, two 3G pitches and one grass pitch, the latter being mainly for use by Aberdeen Football Club’s Community Trust.

Morrison is in the process of appointing all the sub-contractors, the majority of whom are local firms. WM Donald has been appointed to carry out the civil engineering, Hunter Construction will deliver the 3G pitches, while specialist company, Greentech, will create the professional training pitches and Hutcheon Services will design and install all mechanical, plumbing and electrical services.

The Sports Consultancy’s rights marketing consulting team is working with the Club on the development of their sponsorship strategy, exploring opportunities to enhance and augment AFC’s existing commercial programme to provide a range of partnership opportunities, which build on the profile of the club and maximise investment from leading brands.

Robert Wicks, AFC Commercial Director, commented:

The project now moves into an exciting phase, as the club will soon start consultations with fans and other key stakeholders so that we can work positively with them to deliver a community sports hub that meets their aspirations, best-in-class football training facilities and, ultimately, a stadium that the whole region can be proud of.

Sports Venue Business will of course make sure to keep you regularly updated on this and other sports venue projects and developments from across the globe.

Make sure to read our interview with Robert Wicks, Commercial Director, Aberdeen FC, from last year, by simply clicking on the image below…

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