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Court hearing into Kingsford stadium called off at last minute

by Dale Haslam
19/12/2018, 11:05 am Updated: 19/12/2018, 5:38 pm
An artist's impression of the Kingsford Stadium
An artist's impression of the Kingsford Stadium

A court hearing related to Aberdeen FC’s new stadium development has been called off.

No Kingsford Stadium (NKS) is challenging the process by which Aberdeen City Council granted the Dons permission to build the 20.000-capacity stadium and training complex next to the A944 at Kingsford and the first judicial review hearing was due to take place today.

However, it was cancelled at the last minute.

A procedural hearing had been scheduled to take place at the Court of Session in Edinburgh to ensure all documentation will be in place for a three-day substantive hearing next month.

However, a motion was filed to the court this morning indicating all sides had agreed to cancel the procedural hearing.

According a Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service spokeswoman, the procedural hearing was called off because legal representatives for both NKS and the council felt plans for the substantive hearing are going well and so a procedural hearing was not needed.

“It means the case will proceed to the substantive hearing, which begins on January 29,” added the spokeswoman.

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At that substantive hearing, NKS’s legal representatives are expected to challenge aspects of the way the council reached its decision.

A judge called a Lord Ordinary will consider arguments from legal representatives – including those appointed by Aberdeen FC – and will announce their decision around three months later.

Should the challenge fail, the Dons would be able to begin work on phase two of the project, including construction of the stadium.

Work on phase one is progressing. It includes site preparation works and the building of access roads.

Should the challenge succeed, permission handed to the club by the council could be deemed void.

The club has previously said that, should that happen, it would either resubmit the application or table a new one, taking onboard any guidance from the judicial review process.