Dundee FC managing director John Nelms has laid the boot into Dundee City Council over a series of “inexplicable procedural anomalies” in the planning application for a new stadium.
Plans for a multi-use 12,500-seater stadium at Camperdown on the outskirts of the city were lodged last February, however a series of delays means no decision has been forthcoming.
Nelms says the club has spent in excess of £3 million on the project to date.
Transport Scotland has also come under fire from the Dundee chief, with one of the most contentious issues being the proposed access road from the A90 into the development.
Transport bosses concluded the original proposal was not compliant with national highways standards, with revised designs by the club’s consultants having also been rejected.
Transport Scotland insists “many of the fundamental issues remain unresolved”.
Nelms set up Dark Blue Property Holdings with co-owner Tim Keyes to build the stadium and in an open letter to fans published on the club’s website on Friday, he said: “Our Planning Application in Principle remains ongoing and we continue to adhere to a process which I know has been frustrating for many fans excited by our vision for a new home for our club. Rest assured it is just as frustrating for all of us at the club and our team of consultants as we navigate through the process at mounting cost – currently £3.5m and counting.
“We remain absolutely committed to working with Dundee City Council and statutory consultees such as Transport Scotland to resolve technical points that ought not to be insurmountable for a project that will deliver £150m of economic benefit to the city, be a transformative pillar of this club’s future and provide an ambitious asset to the Scottish football estate.
“It is curious that Transport Scotland uploaded a consultation response based on out-of-date information, whilst all parties remain in ongoing technical discussion on the primary issue relating to the junction. Yet we are informed that was requested of them by our Dundee City Council officers.
“Our planning consultant provided up-to-date context in a letter uploaded to the council’s planning portal on the same day as the Transport Scotland submission. As of this morning, it remains unpublished. This failure to present both sides of the correspondence in public has understandably contributed to a negative media narrative, which is unhelpful and harmful to the public perception of such a high profile and complex planning application.
“It is merely the latest in a series of inexplicable procedural anomalies, which are becoming increasingly commonplace.”
Nelms added: “We will continue the fight to show our ambition for the City of Dundee and our commitment to a prosperous future for Dundee Football Club, its fans and, indeed, its rivals.
“We now urge the most senior elected figures within Dundee City Council, together with Scottish Government and Holyrood parliamentarians to pay close attention as we approach a critical juncture of this long-running process.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson responded: “Regular meetings have been held over an extensive period between senior council officers and the applicant to discuss details of the application. The approach is consistent with processes followed by the planning authority for every major application received.”
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