Aberdeen FC’s hopes of gaining approval for its new multimillion-pound stadium in time for Christmas have been dashed.
Following a last-minute decision to pull the application last month, in advance of a final planning meeting, an additional report has now been submitted to planners which includes new information – and will require a further consultation period.
This will only focus on the new information and will begin next week, including e-notification of neighbours, re-advertising the application and consulting the relevant external bodies.
Last night, project director for the Kingsford proposal, Raymond Edgar, acknowledged the process had been frustrating, but added they were now “once and for all” convinced Kingsford was the best site.
He said: “While we had been hoping for a decision on our application before Christmas, we now have an agreed timetable with the council, which will allow the proposals to be fully considered by councillors in January.
“We have undeniably demonstrated there are no other suitable, available and sequentially preferable sites within the city which could accommodate the development.
“In particular, we believe we have, once and for all, demonstrated that the proposals cannot be delivered at either King’s Links or Loirston.
“As requested by the council’s economic development team, we have also provided further analysis which shows the economic benefits of the development to the region are even greater than previously estimated.”
And another pre-determination hearing has been provisionally set for Wednesday, January 17, 2018.
The controversial application for the £50million sports centre, training academy and stadium scheme at Kingsford was due to be debated by councillors in early October.
But the club pulled the application at the eleventh hour after sources indicated council planners were going to recommend refusal.
A spokeswoman for the council said: “It should be emphasised the pre-determination hearing would focus only on the new information received.
“The aim is for the planning application to be determined as soon as practicable, which could be by a special meeting of Aberdeen City Council, subject to the agreement of the Lord Provost.
“As the planning application remains live, the city council cannot discuss the detail of it.”
The closing date for written representations to be submitted to the council will be Tuesday, December 12.