Aberdeen City Council has approved a new City Centre and Beach Masterplan, which will see a green corridor preserving the heritage of Footdee and natural habitat and open space stretching from the River Dee to the River Don.
The move was agreed by councillors at a meeting when several recommendations for moving the projects forwards were agreed along with updates for what stages they are at.
The Full Council also agreed to explore opportunities as part of a phase two of the Beach masterplan work to improve active travel and public transport connectivity between Footdee and other parts of Aberdeen, and to consult on this at a later date.
It was further agreed the council has no intention of purchasing the Trinity Shopping Centre at this time.
Updates were provided on Union Street buildings condition, streetscape at Union Street West, the West End (creating welcoming and comfortable spaces in Rose Street, Thistle Street and Chapel Street), Union Street Central, the new market building, public realm in the Green and the Merchant Quarter (around the new Aberdeen market building), the Belmont Street Quarter, Schoolhill and Upperkirkgate, Queen Street, Union Street East Streetscape (Union Street from Market Street to where it joins the Castlegate), the Castlegate, George Street, the Beach Boulevard, and other beach projects including the events space, public realm works, and new playpark. The updates are:
Union Street buildings condition – currently engaged in dialogue with key project stakeholders and first phase interventions expected to commence early 2023;
Streetscape at Union Street West - Full Business Cases currently being prepared to be reported to Full Council in December 2022;
The West End - Full Business Cases currently being prepared to be reported to Full Council in December 2022
Union Street Central - Full Business Cases currently being prepared to be reported to Full Council in December 2022;
New market building - Planning permission approved in May 2022 and currently in RIBA Stage 4 Technical Design;
The Belmont Street Quarter - detailed design and delivery ongoing in conjunction with local stakeholders;
The public realm area in the Green and the Merchant Quarter - detailed design being developed in consultation with key stakeholders;
Schoolhill and Upperkirkgate - a Full Business Case is currently being prepared to be reported to Full Council in December 2022;
Queen Street – an Options Appraisal is currently being progressed to inform a Strategic Business Case to be completed by December 2022;
Union Street East Streetscape – Full Business Cases currently being prepared to be reported to Full Council in December 2022;
The Castlegate – Full Business Cases currently being prepared to be reported to Full Council in December 2022;
George Street - Draft George Street Mini Masterplan is currently being prepared and will be reported to Full Council in December 2022;
Beach Boulevard – Outline Business Case to be presented to Full Council in Q1 2023;
Other beach projects - Consultation on the Draft Beachfront Development Plan will take place in Autumn 2022, with a revised draft reported in December 2022.
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Alex Nicoll said: “It is to be welcomed that a green corridor stretching from the Dee to the Don and protecting the heritage of Footdee was agreed today at Full Council. The beachfront plans would help to create more facilities for both residents and visitors alike as well as making the area more accessible.”
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “We welcome the progress on the plans for the City Centre and Beach Masterplan which are designed to create an open and more accessible beach area. We look forward to more updates in the coming months.”
The report to committee contained an analysis of the city’s socio-economic landscape, alongside a focus on both environmental and economic sustainability in the current climate emergency. Current city trends have also been reviewed to ensure that the future vision for Aberdeen aligns with the current and future market demands of this evolving context.
The report explained council resources and attention on several intervention areas that the council itself could progress, rather than buildings or areas owned privately, as priorities to help the city’s wider socio-economic post-pandemic recovery.
It is intended that the City Centre and Beach Masterplan will be an investment tool which showcases the city, a live programme that can be flexible in responding to current and future trends/needs, a communications tool to enable understanding, and a reference document to identify priorities, next steps, and monitor progress.
The report added City Centre and Beach Masterplan has been informed by the Scottish Government’s City Centre Recovery Task Force Report from March 2022 which sets out the impact of the Covid-19 public health emergency on city centres.
For Aberdeen, this means working to maximise the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of the city centre and its residents and visitors and supporting the creation of new employment opportunities. A key part of this is supporting connections through clean and efficient active travel and transport routes connecting people and place.
The report said there is an indicative delivery programme which is subject to review and will evolve as project detail progresses, likely resulting in projects being delivered in sequence rather than in simultaneously as impacts on city centre operations are mitigated.
A total of £150million from the General Fund Capital Programme over financial years 2021/22 to 2025/26 has been committed for the city and beach masterplan to ensure the council transforms the areas. This £150m funding commitment was used as match funding for the first £20m bid to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund in 2021, and a second £20m bid submitted in 2022.
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
20/12/2024
City of Edinburgh Council has granted planning permission for a major development on the site of Edinburgh Airport's disused runway. The 'Elements Edinburgh' project, led by Crosswind Developments, will deliver 3,000 new homes, 500,000 square feet of commercial space, hotels, and extensive open ...
20/12/2024
Scotland's First Minister, John Swinney, and UK Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, Lord Vallance, have marked the start of construction on a new £20 million Oligonucleotide Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Glasgow. This state-of-the-art facility, due to open in 2025, will be ...
20/12/2024
SSEN Distribution has outlined a strategic plan to deliver a more efficient and sustainable electricity network, aligning with the UK's ambitious net zero goals. The company's Strategic Development Plans (SDPs) aim to address the challenges and uncertainties of the energy transition, including the ...
20/12/2024
North Lanarkshire Council is leading the way in reducing the carbon footprint of road infrastructure, partnering with Transport for West Midlands, Amey, and Colas on a groundbreaking initiative. As part of the ADEPT Live Labs 2 programme, the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads (CEDR) is ...
20/12/2024
Over 300 primary school pupils across Scotland have had a taste of the construction industry thanks to a festive competition hosted by Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes. Pupils from P2 to P4 classes in Inverness, Aberdeen, Perth, St Andrews, East Lothian, and Glasgow were challenged to design a ...
20/12/2024
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced a delay to its Consensus process, which will now begin on 17 March 2025. The delay is to allow for the publication of the ITB review, expected in early 2025. CITB aims to align its 2025-29 Strategic Plan with the review's ...
19/12/2024
Work is set to begin on a major regeneration project in Elgin's South Street in early 2025. The first phase of the £18 million Levelling Up Fund project will see the demolition of several properties, including former shops and derelict sites. The development will include: • 38 new affordable ...
19/12/2024
Ambitious plans to revitalise Dumbarton's Artizan Centre have moved a step closer with the granting of planning permission for the next phase of the project. West Dunbartonshire Council's planning committee approved the application to improve shopfronts, landscaping, and infrastructure at the town ...
19/12/2024
CALA Homes (East) has been selected by West Lothian Council to build 15 new affordable homes in Linlithgow. The development, located at Preston Glade, will include a mix of house types, including two-bedroom bungalows, three-bedroom semi-detached houses, and one-bedroom cottage flats. All homes ...
19/12/2024
Taylor Roofs, a leading Scottish roofing company, has expanded into a new headquarters in Livingston. The family-run business, which serves customers across central Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Lothians, has outgrown its previous base in Bathgate. The new, larger premises will ...