Dundee stadium plan hailed by Scottish football chiefs as club submits initial planning application

The Dark Blues have handed planning permission in principle documentation to Dundee City Council.

By Sean Hamilton

February 9 2024, 10:35am

(Left to right) SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell, Dundee managing director John Nelms and SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster. Images: SNS

Dundee’s new stadium plan has been hailed by Scottish football chiefs after the club submitted its initial planning application.

The Dark Blues have handed over planning permission in principle documentation to Dundee City Council, who will now assess the merits of the Dens Park outfit’s Camperdown proposal.

Dee managing director John Nelms hailed the move as a “significant milestone” in the club’s years-in-the-making plan to build a 12,500-seater arena on the outskirts of the city.

And the proposal has now received the support of the Scottish game’s two most senior executives, in SFA chief exec Ian Maxwell and his SPFL counterpart Neil Doncaster.

Concept image of Dundee's new stadium at Camperdown Park. Image: Holmes Miller Architects — Concept image of Dundee’s new stadium at Camperdown Park. Image: Holmes Miller Architects

In a statement released by Dundee FC, Maxwell referenced the history of the club’s current home, while backing the proposed move to a new, state of the art stadium.

He said: “Dens Park has been an iconic Scottish football stadium for more than 100 years and while fans of all generations will cherish their favourite memories inside the stadium, we understand the club’s wish to future-proof their home and improve the matchday experience for supporters for the next 100 years.

“The Scottish FA is supportive of plans that will improve club infrastructure, the supporter experience and the image of the national game.”

Doncaster meanwhile hailed the project’s scope, saying: “Any club that seeks to invest in improving infrastructure to this scale deserves enormous credit. This project is ambitious and one that has been worked on for some time by the owners.

“The SPFL supports efforts to enhance the Scottish football experience for the hundreds of thousands of fans who attend matches on a weekly basis.”

The stadium plan is being spearheaded by Dundee owner Tim Keyes and chief Nelms’ Dark Blue Property Holdings company.

Dundee managing director John Nelms has been working on the club’s new stadium proposal for years. Image: David Young

Nelms pointed out the significance of Friday’s submission, while also pointing out Dundee City Council’s “on the record” support of developers’ contributions to the city’s regeneration.

He said: “Today is a significant milestone in our stadium development plans. Thanks to the help of our expert planning team, architects and the wider group involved in the project, we have submitted an extensive document requesting planning permission in principle.

“We look forward to sharing more details with supporters during this process and engaging with Dundee City Council to bring the vision to reality. We are grateful, too, to the Scottish FA and SPFL for their support.

“We have also been encouraged by our engagement so far with the local authority, who are on record as saying that they are supportive of developers who want to play a part in the regeneration of Dundee and that they will work to remove any barriers.”