Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen's new £50M ($67.4M) stadium plan "could be derailed even if it is approved by the city council," according to Rebecca Curran of the BBC. The stadium and training facilities would be at Kingsford, near Westhill. Although the final decision is a matter for Aberdeen councilors, Aberdeenshire Council will have to agree to a controlled parking zone and a proposed footbridge -- "both considered crucial if the project is to go ahead." The proposed location is about 200m beyond the Aberdeen bypass, "close to the boundary between both councils." A pre-determination hearing last week was told that "if either the CPZ or footbridge were undeliverable, city roads officials would recommend the planning application was refused." The proposed CPZ for Westhill "lies wholly within Aberdeenshire" (BBC, 9/18). The Scotland DAILY RECORD reported the Aberdeenshire Council currently has no controlled parking zones in force and its director of infrastructure services, Stephen Archer, said in a written submission, "The application can only be considered acceptable if the likely impact is sufficiently mitigated through a legally enforceable CPZ that remains in place in perpetuity and is funded by the applicant (AFC)." Aberdeen Vice-Chair George Yule already warned the club "could go to the wall if the proposed move fails." He said, "To be honest, unless we move this club into the 21st century with proper facilities, there's a very real danger those fans walking up King Street in the long term may not have a team to support" (DAILY RECORD, 9/18).
