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Hearing to be held into stadium plans - Dons’ £38million Loirston Loch development attracts 150 objections
A PUBLIC hearing is to be held to consider Aberdeen Football Club’s plans for a new stadium after 150 objections were lodged against the project.
Aberdeen City Council has confirmed that a special meeting will be arranged to discuss concerns about the £38million development proposed at Loirston Loch.
Objections from residents in the south of the city are believed to focus on the scale of the proposed 21,000-seat arena, as well as its impact on nearby roads and the natural habitat of a number of species.
The Scottish Premier League side earmarked the council-owned site at Nigg as its preferred location for a new home to replace century-old Pittodrie Stadium after a feasibility study found it was the most suitable available area in the city.
Nigg Community Council chairman Alan Strachan said: “It is basically the wrong place. It is on the green belt and it goes against the council’s policy on green spaces.
“Without a doubt, the community are united in opposing it. There is just disgust that the site has been suggested for a new stadium.
“We would welcome plans to hold a hearing.”
The city’s next local plan, a draft of which is currently out for public consultation, proposes rezoning the green-belt site at Loirston to pave the way for a community stadium there.
There are also early proposals by the Muir Group to build up to 2,000 homes, a school and a hotel on an adjacent site at Loirston, although this is separate from the club’s application.
The local authority still has to set a date for the hearing into the stadium plans. Objectors will be invited to attend the event to outline their concerns in detail.
A club spokesman said: “The number of objections is entirely in line with the size of the proposal.”
The scale of the development means the planning application will be determined by the full council, rather than the planning committee, with Scottish Government ministers to be notified afterwards.
A council spokeswoman said: “There will be a pre-determination hearing, the date of which will be announced in due course.”