The Dark Blues lodged its planning application in February 2024 for a 12,500-seat multi-purpose stadium and events campus. Eighteen months later, the club says it remains stuck in the process, despite having already spent £3.5m on consultant and planning fees.

In an open letter to supporters, published on Friday, Nelms expressed frustration at what he described as “unhelpful procedural developments that seem to obstruct rather than try to support” the project.

Among his main grievances are delays in receiving vital feedback from consultees and the publication of out-of-date information on the planning portal.

“Transport Scotland uploaded a consultation response based on out-of-date information, whilst all parties remain in ongoing technical discussion on the primary issue relating to the junction,” Nelms said. “Yet we are informed that was requested of them by our Dundee City Council officers.”

According to the club, their planning consultant submitted an updated response on the same day as Transport Scotland, but the document has still not been published on the council’s portal. Nelms said this “failure to present both sides of the correspondence in public has understandably contributed to a negative media narrative.”

He also highlighted delays in communication from the council: a Draft Traffic Management Plan submitted in March was not passed back to the club with consultee feedback until late July – almost four months later.

Despite his criticism, Nelms insisted the club remains committed to working constructively with both the council and Transport Scotland, stressing the project’s potential benefits not only for Dundee FC but also for the wider city.

“It is our dear hope that our misgivings prove to be unfounded, 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.”

The managing director confirmed that a long-awaited meeting with council chief executive Greg Colgan and executive director of city development Robin Presswood has now been agreed – the first such engagement since the application was lodged.

Nelms also noted the irony that Camperdown was originally suggested as a preferred site by council officials in 2017, when the club was assessing several locations, including the now-approved Eden Project site.

Concluding his letter, Nelms urged Dundee’s senior politicians and MSPs to intervene: “We now urge the most senior elected figures within Dundee City Council, together with Scottish Government and Holyrood parliamentarians, to pay close attention as we approach a critical juncture of this long-running process.”

Dundee City Council declined to comment on the substance of the claims, pointing only to the “quasi-judicial nature” of the planning process, but said the chief executive and development director would meet the club.

The row follows another setback for Dundee FC in July, when plans for a new training facility at Riverside Park were overturned in court after a successful challenge from campaigners.

For now, Nelms insists the club will “continue the fight” to deliver a transformative project for Dundee.