A judge today rejected a legal appeal by a protest group against the club’s proposals.

The Dons got planning permission from Aberdeen City Council in April to build a 20,000-seat arena and training complex alongside the A944 at Kingsford.

However, No Kingsford Stadium (NKS) claims Aberdeen City Council did not follow the correct procedure when it granted permission.

The group brought a judicial review to the Scottish Court of Session and a three-day hearing took place in January to allow both sides to make legal arguments.

After hearing those points, Lord Tyre today published his opinion to allow construction of the second phase of the project, including the stadium, to go ahead.

NKS has 21 days to appeal to the Court of Session.

Work on phase one, including road access points and ground preparation works, began last July. Principal contractor Morrison Construction began the construction of the community sports hub and football training facilities in November.