Here’s today's transcript of the Aberdeen FC presentation at today’s Predetermination meeting at Aberdeen City Council in respect of the proposed training, community and stadium complex at Kingsford.

ELAINE FARQUHARSON-BLACK
(partner in Burness Paull, Solicitors and legal planning adviser to Aberdeen Football Club)

I will address you on the planning issues. Ally Prockter, Chief Executive of AFC Community Trust will explain the community involvement and benefits arising from the development and Derek Mclnnes, Manager of Aberdeen, will explain why the development is essential to the Club's future success.

The professional team will answer questions.

DETERMINING ISSUES
In determining this application, you will require to assess whether the development accords with the relevant provisions of the Development Plan and if not, whether there are material considerations which justify approval. It must be borne in mind that the Development Plan must be considered us a whole and a judgement made about the weight to be given to conflicting policies.

In my submission, the key issues are:

Need for a new stadium
Need for co-location
Green Belt versus Economic policies
Site specific environmental issues
Transport implications
Material considerations

1 NEED FOR A NEW STADIUM
Like the city it represents, Aberdeen Football Club has a proud history. Aside from its on pitch successes, the Club has also been at the forefront of stadium design. It was the first club to introduce the dugout in the 1920s and in 1978, Pittodrie became only the second all seated stadium in Britain – 10 years before the Government outlawed standing in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster.

Over the years, piecemeal developments have taken place at Pittodrie, such as the erection of the Richard Donald Stand, but as footballing and health and safety regulations have evolved, and redevelopment has taken place in the surrounding area, Pittodrie Stadium has become increasingly constrained and going forward there is no certainty that the Club will be permitted to continue to host European football matches at Pittodrie as it fails to meet UEFA criteria. With annual maintenance costs running at £700,000, it is also becoming increasingly uneconomic to operate a facility which dates back to 1903.

In 2000, after a review of many potential sites across the City, the Club came forward with proposals to construct a new community stadium in the Green Belt in Kingswells. The plans were supported by the Council. When the proposals fell through because Scotland failed in its bid to host Euro 2008, the Council and the Club started to work together to bring forward a new stadium. The Council said it had to be more than just a football stadium. It had to act as an educational training, social, recreational, employment and community hub for the benefit of the north east area.

More sites were reviewed by the Club and the Council. The choice at that time was narrowed down to Kings Links and Loirston, with the latter being considered the best option for a variety of reasons. Situated outwith the city centre, in the Green Belt the new stadium and training facility would have been built at Loirston, but for the construction of the new City South Academy.

However, the need for a new community stadium to serve the north east remains and the Strategic
Development Plan identifies its delivery as a regionally significant project. In my submission, there is, therefore, no doubting that there is an over-riding need and policy support for the construction of a new stadium.

2 CO-LOCATION
The Club requires 25 hectares to provide all the facilities which combine to make up the community and youth development facilities, modern stadium and professional training pitches. The Club has assessed numerous sites across the City, but none can accommodate a development of this scale. It has been suggested that there is no need to co-locate the stadium and the pitches and as such two, or indeed more. smaller sites, remote from each other, could be found.

It is important to note that from a legal point of view, there is no requirement for the Club to subdivide the different elements of the development and see whether parts can be shoe horned into different sites dotted around the City. What you must assess is whether the development as proposed is acceptable on the application site.

The Council s vision for the new stadium is a hub of different, but complementary uses. The SDPA's response on the application confirms that the Strategic Development Plan also envisages multiple usage of the stadium. This cannot be achieved with split locations.

3 GREEN BELT V ECONOMIC POLICY
As you have heard, Kingsford is within the Green Belt, in which there is a presumption against development. While the pitches may be considered to be recreational facilities which are acceptable in the Green Belt, it is acknowledged that the built development is contrary to the Green Belt policy.

The objectors would have you believe that this means you must refuse the application. However. as I said earlier, you must consider all the Development Plan policies in the round.

In considering the Green Belt location, you should note that despite being identified as a regionally significant project, the 2017 LDP does not earmark any sites for a community stadium. So there is currently no local plan led proposal to deliver the stadium anywhere in Aberdeen.

The work done by the Club has demonstrated that in light of the size of the site required, and land acquisition costs, there is no viable location within the existing urban area, hence the need to explore sites within the Green Belt. The SDP recognises that the Green Belt around Aberdeen will need to change to meet the growth which the Plan seeks to achieve. The 2017 LDP acknowledges that the City needs to expand beyond its existing developed edges.

While the Green Belt policy seeks to protect the character and landscape setting of the City, the Development Plan is founded on a vision of economic growth. The Plan considers that construction of a new stadium will bring economic, social and cultural benefits to the city region.

While the proposal will be a departure from the Green Belt policy, in my submission it is supported
by the economic policies of the Plan, as was the case at Loirston. At Loirston, the Council concluded that the economic, social, sports and cultural benefits for the whole community of Aberdeen that will arise from the development, justify approving the application contrary to the Green Belt Policy. Kingsford is no different.

4 SITE SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Given the site s location within the Green Belt, the Club was required to carry out an extensive environmental impact assessment. I simply wish to highlight that:
. The site was previously a landfill;
. It has no historic or archaeological value;
. The EIA has shown that the site has no environmental or ecological value; and
. Given its location, next to the A944, adjacent to the built up area ofWesthil! and the nearby
AWPR junction, the development will not have an unacceptable impact on the setting of the
City.

As the report notes, there are no objections from consultees on environmental matters.
When the stadium was proposed at Loirston, the Council envisaged an iconic landmark building at an important gateway into the City. That is what we will have at Kingsford. The layout, siting and design of the stadium has been worked up in collaboration with the Council's masterplan and design team.
In my submission, there are no site specific environmental issues which would justify refusing
permission for the stadium on this site.

5 TRANSPORTATION
Concerns have been raised about siting the stadium outwith the city centre and whether this will encourage travel by private car and whether the local road network will be adversely affected. Bear in mind that there are on average 22 home games each season, played either in the evenings or at weekends.

Kingsford is located on the A944, close to the new AWPR junction. It is accessible from all directions and will remove traffic from the city centre on match clays, in line with Council policy.
Detailed assessment work has taken place and the Council's roads officers and Transport Scotland are satisfied that the network can safely accommodate match day traffic.

In line with the Council s sustainable transport policies, the Club has put in place a bus strategy to take supporters to the stadium from the City centre and back on match days. The strategy is in line with what was agreed with the Council at Loirslon and has the support of local bus operators.
A major concern for local residents is the potential for parking on the streets in Westhill. Parking is provided on site, in accordance with the Council's parking standards for a stadium facility.

There is also parking available in the nearby Business Parks and it has been agreed that the Club will provide a footbridge across the A944 to facilitate safe pedestrian access to the stadium.

These parking options will reduce the likelihood of on street parking in Westhill. However, the Club has agreed to enter into discussions about the delivery of a controlled parking zone in the streets closest to the stadium. This is in line with what was agreed at Loirston.

6 MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The economic, social and cultural benefits of the proposed stadium are material considerations in the determination of the application. I have already highlighted that the Development Plan places a strong emphasis on the economic growth of the city region. This echoes Scottish Government Guidance which advises that the planning system should facilitate positive change and promote development which increases economic activity.

Along with members and officers from this Council, I attended a recent presentation by Sir Howard Bernstein who is credited with masterminding the rebirth of Manchester. He highlighted the investment which he secured in Manchester City Football Club as key as it led lo other private investment in the city, in property, in infrastructure, in the social and cultural sectors. He also said that nowadays, a city defines itself by its facilities and events. These comments are directly relevant to this application.

What is before you is £50M of private investment.

It provides the opportunity for the City to host international football, rugby and other sporting events, which will attract large numbers of people to the region. Sitting alongside the new AECC, the City's sporting and cultural offering would be significantly enhanced.

At a more personal level, through the work in the community, the stadium will bring health and social benefits, consistent with the Scottish Government's guiding principle for planning of improving health and well-being through social interaction, physical activity, sport and recreation.
Objectors have suggested that moving away from Pittodrie will detrimentally impact on the city centre. They have put forward no evidence to support this proposition. The Chamber of Commerce has advised that the approximate spend by football fans in the city centre on match days is less than 1% of the north east's annual retail spend. There is nothing to indicate that this spend will be lost with the move to Kingsford.

What should be of greater concern is what happens if this application is not approved. There is no other suitable site. Indeed, there are no other options for the Club.

7 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the SDP says that the Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils will act confidently and take courageous decisions which are necessary to develop a robust and resilient economy.
It may be argued that this application calls for courage and leadership in the face of opposition. It is a decision which will send out a message about Aberdeen and its willingness to embrace change and encourage investment.

In my submission, the conflict with the Green Belt policy is considerably outweighed by the economic, social and cultural benefits of building a new stadium, which are strongly supported by national, regional and local policies. The Council has already accepted that proposition in supporting the Loirston proposals.

There are no adverse site specific environmental impacts at Kingsford which would justify the Council adopting a different stance. I, therefore, respectfully invite you, in due course, to approve the application.

ALLY PROCKTER
From a Community Trust perspective, this application is about Helping People, by using the 'hook' of AFC and these facilities as a community asset…. almost every day of the year!!

The Trust is a standalone charity, overseen by the Scottish Charity Regulator.

We are required to work towards clearly defined charitable objectives that benefit other groups.
Our fully inclusive community initiatives are delivered to people aged 3 to over 100 years of age.
We deliver 160,000 participations each year, a 500% increase in just 4 years.
We work in partnership with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils; NHS Grampian; Aberdeen
City Health & Social Care Partnership; Alzheimer Scotland and the National Autistic Society, to name
but a few.

In 2016, the Trust received the first ever Faculty of Public Health in Scotland Community Award. Last week we won our first European Award for Best Community & Social Responsibility Programme in relation to our Dementia Friendly Communities initiative.

THE COMMUNITY TRUST HAS NO DEDICATED COMMUNITY FACILITIES – No football pitches or other playing areas; No classrooms & no other Learning areas;

A disproportionate amount of our resource is spent seeking and securing suitable facilities Trust monies are spent out with the charity, which would otherwise be retained and redirected to deliver more community activities.

Insufficient and unsuitable working environment for AFCCT staff and volunteers, impacts on my ability to recruit and accommodate staff.

Due to the age & design of Pittodrie, many areas are restricted for community use; for example, internal areas used regularly during the summer months are insufficiently heated & become redundant during winter; and disability access is limited to many areas of the stadium/ reducing the inclusive nature of some activities.

New Co-Located Facilities will bring Positive Opportunities & Benefits.

Additional high-quality sporting and community facilities will be made available for use by people across the North East. Use of these facilities will provide increased employment and volunteering opportunities with the Trust.

Being adjacent to the AWPR, will allow the Trust to extend its reach more broadly and to be even more inclusive.

Access to the sports facilities and the stadium, will enable us to combine class based activities with physical activity, at the same location. This will allow us to 'design in' specific learning opportunities to make best use of all the facilities on over 340 non-match days each year. Staff & management on site/ in fit for purpose accommodation, will allow for optimum communication for all Trust & Club staff & volunteers at Kingsford.

lconic facilities will significantly increase the 'HOOK' that can be used to positively publicise activities, and increase participation and retention, particularly in relation to harder to reach groups.

This will be further enhanced by having same site 'access' to 1 team players, and behind the scenes areas of the stadium complex. We will have dedicated and unique learning spaces, to schedule in programmes which support local schools & other education establishments.

In a similar way to the successful Aberdeen Sports Village, this complex will serve as an inspirational community environment all year round.

There will be capacity to make facilities available for use by the public including the gymnasium; table tennis; aerobics; badminton; athletics and more.

This can generate Income for the Trust, which will be then used to benefit to local communities. The new facilities provide an opportunity to work even more closely with external partners and to optimise the many benefits of the site.

The Trust is already addressing many local & national priorities including:
. Social Care & integration
. Obesity
. Educational Attainment
. Employability and
. Mental Health

It cannot be over stated, approval of this planning application will be a game changer for the Trust, and the community support that we can deliver.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS WILL HELP CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR THE BETTER.

DEREK McINNES
You have heard about the economic reasons and benefits for the construction of a new facility and also about the fantastic work the club's charitable trust does for so many in the community. I am here to explain just how important the new stadium and training pitches are to myself and all players, young and old, of Aberdeen Football Club.

8 April 2013 – my first day in the job and the realisation of just how poor our training conditions and facilities were. Within 5 minutes of a simple passing drill on a surface in such a state that it was almost impossible to achieve. The reminder to myself that no other professional club in Scotland would have trained on a poorer pitch that morning. Yet we regard ourselves as a major player in Scottish football. It was totally unacceptable and on driving back to the stadium afterwards, I vowed never to train there again. We're still training there…..

Our reality almost 4 and a half years later is still not without its challenges.

By way of example of what we face, on 30 December last year we were due to play Hearts away at Tynecastle in a very important league game in front of a sell-out crowd. The day before the match, the weather was so bad we had to book the Astro Turf pitch at the Banks o' Dee complex to train and prepare the team. We would normally name our team, shape up our team on a Friday before any match and I was keen to do so on this occasion, It is always a risk doing so in public view for fear of the team being out there on social media, but we had no choice.

However, we had to cut short our training session because some Royal Bank of Scotland workers had also booked the same pitch for a kick about in their lunch hour. Now bankers are never the most popular of people, but that day especially so. The frustration of that scenario is clear, but also it's embarrassing, almost laughable…

We went on to win that particular game, but regardless of whether we win, lose or draw a game, the
preparation has got to be right and I can't always do that at the moment.

If you look at the league table for facilities we're down at the very bottom. So everyday all these clubs who we're judged against – Hibs, Hearts, Rangers, Celtic – have an advantage over us. Youth teams from these clubs and others are currently training in better conditions than my first team squad at the minute, yet DESPITE that, we're consistently 2 through our league campaign and have been in 3 cup finals in the last 4 years. This is due to us working harder in other areas and having a great team spirit within the club.

I would love what the other clubs have. They are so fortunate to have what they have and I believe that with the desired facilities we would be even stronger. If we don't achieve our goal, others will leave us in the distance as they go on from strength to strength. At the same time, our performance and results will drop as we are unable to attract good players. This will inevitably lead to smaller crowds. Our level of success of late is unsustainable and we need help to continue that.

The exciting prospect of a training ground and stadium alongside each other would be of huge importance and significance to us all. Not only for all the practicalities, but we would be the envy of all teams in Scotland. Something that given the opportunity of a co-occupation site, they would have grabbed with both hands.

It would be a real game changer for us and is a fantastic opportunity for us to strengthen our aims and desire to be a top 100 rated club in Europe. To be respected and admired for having such a dual facility, but also reinforcing our commitment to be a club for all, promoting togetherness, unity and a shared collective of all aspects of the club and the community.

To relocate any portion to another site would immediately put physical barriers in our way and make
achieving our goals far more difficult. We also want to instil in all our younger players the aspiration, the idea of training and practising with the motivation of one day playing for Aberdeen 1 team inside the stadium they would develop in the shadow of.

Every Saturday I remind my players of who we are representing. We all represent ourselves, but more importantly we represent Aberdeen whether we're playing here in the city, Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh, or in many countries across Europe. Now ask yourselves – how do we want Aberdeen to be represented?

Regarded as? How do we want others to perceive what we are; what we stand for? Do we want modern state of the art facilities; a team to be proud of, something that everybody can be involved in or do we just stay as we are and get left behind?

Everyday I have to make decisions, whether it is where we train, what team to pick or whatever. But the decision being asked of you on this planning application is the single biggest decision for this football club.

We can all find reasons not to do something, to put something off to another day. But not this decision. It is too important, not only to me, but it will impact on so many people and future generations of Aberdonians.

We cannot be sitting here in 10 years time still trying to get this done.

Now, I wasn't born in Aberdeen or brought up an Aberdeen supporter, but I LOVE this Club. We are a brilliant club to work for, to be part of. Full of brilliant people with energy and passion, who only want the club to be successful. We are Just not as brilliant as we can be currently. But with these new facilities, we most definitely can be.

As I see it, the whole of Aberdeen and the North East region are deserving of top class facilities which we can be proud of. Our supporters are deserving of a full match day experience in a modern stadium catering for all. All my players, and future generations of youngsters, are deserving of conditions conducive to learning, and developing the skills to be the best they can be.

We are “all for Aberdeen”.

Please help us deliver an “Aberdeen for all” sporting arena fit for the 21 century.