Aberdeen Football Club (AFC) has abandoned its proposals for a new 30,000-capacity stadium situated in west Aberdeen.

The club decided to withdraw its application – for a sports and leisure Centre of Excellence, including a new football stadium – rather than face a public enquiry into its planning.

The club’s controversial Bellfield site application had raised over 2,000 objections. The site, which is currently a farm, was originally designated as greenbelt land and was what the majority of the local objections centred upon.

Other objections included concerns about the increase in the volume of traffic and overall transport the new stadium would attract.

The Bellfield site had been mooted as a possible location for the 2008 European Football Championship location. Alternative sites are now currently being considered near to AFC’s current Pittodrie ground. Details: www.afc.co.uk