Scotland’s transport body has delivered a damning rebuke to Dundee FC chiefs, accusing the club of stalling its own stadium plans by failing to produce workable traffic solutions.

Dark Blues managing director John Nelms says Transport Scotland is to blame for the delay in a council decision on the club’s new 12,500-seater ground on the edge of Camperdown Park.

But the agency rejected Nelms’ claims in an extraordinary statement.

In a rare public intervention, it accused Dark Blues bosses of failing to resolve the road network issue crucial to the stadium’s approval.

The war of words erupted just hours after The Courier revealed a council decision on Camperdown won’t be made this month.

And in a series of media interviews on Tuesday, Dee chief executive Nelms put the blame firmly at the door of Transport Scotland.

‘My patience is starting to wane’

He said: “I am a patient person but my patience is starting to wane.

“We have gotten to the point where we are working on the finer detail with Transport Scotland and that is the only detail left in the whole process.

“From a technical point, there could potentially be a better option going in and out of the site.

“So our teams have been working on that option but in order to do the next step, we need to know what one we are going with.”

Dundee managing director John Nelms. Image: SNS

The planning in principle application lodged last February detailed proposals to have an access road directly from the A90 into the complex.

The new junction would be positioned between the BP petrol station and the Coupar Angus Road roundabout.

However, The Courier reported last August that transport chiefs had raised several queries with Dee consultants regarding the impact the plans could have on the Kingsway.

But Nelms says Dark Blue Property Holdings, the company set up by him and Dundee chairman Tim Keyes to build the new stadium, has done everything possible to address the concerns.

The Dark Blues chief claims he has raised the issue with First Minister John Swinney.

The proposed layout of the junction at the entrance to Camperdown Park for Dundee FC’s proposed stadium. Supplied by Systra/Dundee FC.

He added: “We have done basically everything you would do for a full planning application and it has all come back fine.

“This transport bit is the last bit.

“I’ve written to government ministers including First Minister John Swinney.

“I’ve also written to Transport Scotland personally to say, ‘Where are we? Can we get in a room and know out these finer points?’

“It’s at the point where I’ll start knocking on more and more doors up the ladder until we all come to a resolution.”

Transport chiefs hit back

However, Transport Scotland hit back at Nelms’ comments.

In a scathing response, the agency claims Dee consultants have failed to address the issues raised and says it remains in talks with Dundee City Council over “the lack of progress” made by the club.

A spokesperson said: “It is the developer’s responsibility to promote an access strategy that best meets the needs of their proposed development, supported by a robust assessment of its impact on the local and trunk road network.

“Neither of the trunk road junction options proposed in recent months has been shown to be effective and the supporting traffic figures remain open to considerable uncertainty.

Concept image of Dundee’s Camperdown Park stadium complex. Image: Holmes Miller Architects

“It sits wholly with the developer and their consultants to settle these issues and present stakeholders with a coherent plan.

“We have repeatedly shown willingness to engage with the developer to address these issues, but they have yet to provide the information necessary that would allow us to give a definitive response to their proposals.

“We remain in discussions with the local authority about the lack of progress the developers and their consultants are making”.