A bid to breathe new life into Aberdeen’s Castlegate with a weekly street market is in doubt after a leading council official tabled an objection to the plans.
Tom Moore, city centre manager, has said in a letter to licensing chiefs that the local authority has not been provided with the correct documents and permits.
He adds that there is “no record” of the applicant being a “fully constituted organisation”.
The proposal for a market operators licence will be considered by members of the council’s licensing committee next week.
In a supporting statement, the applicant, listed as Aberdeen Castlegate Market, said the intention was to offer the public a “wide choice of produce and goods” to meet “current demand and taste”.
The proposal is to start with 20-30 traders, with the aim of building up to 40 or more a week by the end of the first year of operation.
Backers of the plans hope to attract 300-400 visitors an hour to the market at peak times.
The statement adds: “In the long term, we hope that our commercial success will contribute towards the regeneration of the Castlegate area itself.
“Through regularly featuring free entertainment and competitions for the public attending the market, we hope to create a weekly event that will have a strong popular appeal – particularly to families. We will be looking to introduce seasonal flavours to the market and encouraging our traders to refresh their offer ‘regularly’.”
In his response to the committee, Mr Moore says the applicant has to provide full details of the operation, type of stalls, site map, parking arrangements for vehicles, management and setting up conditions.
He adds: “Since we have no record of the applicants being a fully constituted organisation, and in the absence of the required documentation and permits, we object to this application.”
Members of the licensing committee will consider the application at a meeting on Tuesday, July 1.