Aberdeen Football Club chairman Stewart Milne has revealed plans for a new £40 million stadium and training facility at Kingsford, west of the city and close to the airport.

Milne said Aberdeen plan to have the training facility operational by 2018, with the new stadium in use by season 2019-20.

The new stadium would be situated adjacent to the A944 Aberdeen-Westhill road and just 200 metres from a new bypass road under construction.

“Kingsford offers an opportunity to locate both the stadium and the training facilities within a single site, as was the original plan for Loirston, and it is in an ideal location for supporters travelling from all areas in and around Aberdeen,” said Milne.

“Crucially, we have full control of the site via a concluded missive with the landowner.

“Extensive site diligence has already been carried out at Kingsford to establish the feasibility of the land area and also the requirements for the planning process.”

The Aberdeen chairman explained why Loirston has been replaced as the preferred location.

“Since Loirston was previously identified as our site for the new stadium, there have been various changes in circumstances and furthermore the development of the AWPR (bypass) will now provide easy access to the new site at Kingsford.

“AFC and Aberdeen City Council see a new stadium and training facilities as a vital part of the region’s infrastructure, and there is a strong desire by the club to deliver these new facilities as soon as possible.

“In terms of the timescale of the proposed new facilities, which are absolutely essential to the future success of Aberdeen Football Club, we plan to have the training facilities operational by 2018, with the new stadium following in season 2019-20.

“We will also benefit from the Loirston stadium pre-development undertaken to date as a significant amount of this work can and will be utilised at Kingsford.”

Aberdeen team manager Derek McInnes said: “I’ve said from the day I arrived here that the one most important aspects where the club needs to drive forward is in terms of its training facilities, so the fact the new stadium is potentially going to be at the same location as these is an added bonus.

“When completed, this will have a huge impact in terms of AFC’s ability to attract and then improve players, both in terms of youngsters for our youth academy and also established first team players.”

Milne added: “There will be a twelve week period of public consultation, after which initial planning for the training facilities will be applied for, with the outcome expected later this year.”