ABERDEEN hope to begin building their new £50 million stadium in the summer after their planning application was approved by the city council.

Councillors voted 32-9 to approve plans for a 20,000-seat stadium and training facilities at Kingsford, near Westhill – seven miles west of the city.

However, it emerged that related plans for parking facilities and a footbridge have to go through Aberdeenshire Council, which has previously raised objections.

A campaign group has already announced its intention to force a judicial review and the Scottish Government could have the final say on the £50m proposals.

But Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne feels the decision is a major step forward to finding an alternative home to Pittodrie.

Milne said: "This is another big step along the way. It has still got to go to the Scottish Government and be cleared by them. I would hope we get that clearance during March.

"There's obviously quite a lot of legal issues that need to be tied up but, all being well, we hope to be on site in the summer and have the first phase delivered by summer next year. The target at the moment is that we can start playing there in season 2021-22."

The No Kingsford Stadium campaign group immediately vowed to step up its bid to prevent the development going ahead on green belt land.

A statement read: "We have shown that the application is contrary to the development plan and our position is supported by the strategic planning authority, Aberdeenshire Council and the local community councils. We commissioned an independent review of the economic case which found that AFC had 'grossly overestimated' the impact.

"It is our view that council officials and councillors have failed in their duty to apply the law in this case and we will now progress our petition for judicial review."

However, Milne is confident that challenge will be overcome.

"There's the potential that it could cause delays," he said. "They can challenge the planning decision, they can put in a legal challenge in respect to the due processes that is being gone through by the council.

"I think there's evidence there today just how thorough the council have been in appraising the application. So we would be most surprised if there were grounds for a legal challenge."