Scottish Premiership club 'increasingly alarmed' by new stadium delays as costs hit £3.5m 'and counting'

Nelms has responded after what was reported as the latest setback to hit the project earmarked for land in the Camperdown area, about three miles from the club’s present site at Dens Park. A persistent issue has been concerns surrounding access off the bypass at times of high traffic density, such as before and after games.

Earlier this week Transport Scotland rejected a revised junction proposal from the club’s planning consultants. It has now been as long as 18 months since a planning in principle application was submitted for the 12,500-capacity complex. The club are still awaiting a decision from Dundee City Council.

In an update published on Dundee’s official website on Friday, Nelms calculated the cost to Dark Blues Property Holdings, the club’s ownership group, as £3.5 million “and counting”. He stressed he was “encouraged” by Dundee City Council chief executive Greg Colgan agreeing to meet having had no contact from Robin Presswood, the council's executive director of city development, since the application was submitted in February 2024. Presswood, he noted, is expected to attend the meeting, although it isn’t stated when this meeting will take place.

Nelms and business partner, Dundee chairman Tim Keyes, bought the land in 2017. Nelms claims they were encouraged to do so by council figures over other areas under consideration, including the site which is now earmarked for the £130 million Eden Project development.

He said it was “ironic” that this was deemed unsuitable due to traffic demands. The planned new stadium would, Nelms estimated, bring as much as £150m investment to a city that doesn’t have its economic challenges to seek. He complained about the "apparent indifference by certain council officers" to the wider benefits.

He also said it was “curious” that Transport Scotland uploaded a consultation response based on out-of-date information which he added “we are informed…was requested of them by our Dundee City Council Officers”.

He added: “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.” He cited a Draft Management Traffic plan that was submitted to the council on 5 March. “The response from DCC [Roads], dated 4 April, was not sent to the applicant until 24 July, along with another response from Police Scotland, dated 30 May. Why the delay in reporting such vital information to us?” he asked.

“It is our dear hope that our misgivings prove to be unfounded,” Nelms continued. “That our assigned senior council officers are shown to have acted with the utmost professionalism and good faith. That ultimately our supporters will be able to see our vision become their reality.”

However, the club are “increasingly alarmed” by unhelpful procedural developments. “The outcome of this process will, of course, have future ramifications for all fans, irrespective of the colour of their scarves,” he added.

Nelms has already confirmed that Dundee will remain at Dens Park next season as well as the current one. According to the original proposed schedule, the club were already meant to be playing games at the new site at Camperdown.