A majority of Aberdeen councillors have voted for a new debate on reopening Union Street to buses and taxis – but it still won’t happen.
The SNP and Liberal Democrats secured majority support for their debate on the future of the Granite Mile – after making a last-ditch plea for support last night.
But the council’s in-house rules, known as standing orders, required it to be backed by two-thirds of all councillors before going ahead.
They won the ballot on whether to have another vote 24-21 – but were six short of the 30 required for a fresh debate.
Failure to hold fresh Union Street vote ‘an insult to democracy’
It was an outcome that will likely have come as little surprise, but SNP group leader Alex Nicoll claimed “prevented the democratic will of the council”.
He was shut down by Lord Provost Barney Crockett, who quickly moved to end the meeting after only 10 minutes.
It comes after Mr Crockett kiboshed attempts to discuss Union Street at a meeting last month, where the 24-21 majority would have been enough to prompt change.
After the meeting, Lib Dem Mr Yuill, said: “This is an insult to democracy and to the people with disabilities, older people and others who have effectively been excluded from the city centre for most of the last two years.
“It also means continuing delays caused by diverting bus services along Bridge Street, Guild Street and Market Street.
“Only four councillors backed closing central Union Street in November.
“A majority of councillors today made clear they wanted all 45 councillors to decide the future of central Union Street, yet a minority of councillors stopped that discussion even taking place.
“The Conservative and Labour councillors who blocked discussion today will have to answer to the people of Aberdeen at the council elections in May. That election cannot come a day too soon.”
Neither the need for a two-thirds majority in order to suspend standing orders or the six-month rule proved contentious when councillors reviewed their in-house rules in March 2021.
Bus and taxi access to Union Street has been a running sore
Opposition groups have been trying to reverse the continued closure of Union Street since November, when it was voted through by only four councillors on the city growth (finance) committee.
The quartet voted to prolong the once-temporary closure of the Market Street to Bridge Street stretch – initially prompted by the coronavirus – despite concerns it is “engineering” those with disabilities and mobility issues out of the city centre.
The blocked off stretch – now referred to as Union Street central – is worth £20 million in UK Government funding as it is tied to the council’s overall £50m new market.
The two-thirds majority was needed because that decision was taken so recently, within the last six months.
The SNP and Liberal Democrats were backed in their pursuit of a fresh vote by outspoken critic of the continued closure Marie Boulton and her fellow independent John Reynolds.
Last November, Mrs Boulton quit her high-profile role as city centre masterplan lead in protest at plans to keep Union Street central closed while permanent plans are drawn up.
‘Final decision’ on Union Street and £150m masterplan due next month
However, despite all the noise surrounding this row, councillors will only have to wait a matter of weeks to see the detailed proposals for the £150 million overhaul of the Union Street, the city centre and the beach.
Council finance convener, Conservative Ryan Houghton, said: “This is all coming back on February 28 with all the facts, evidence and results of the engagement work for full consideration.
“That is when the final decision will be made.
“Today was nothing but a smokescreen to try and reverse a decision made only a matter of weeks ago – while the SNP again offered no alternative vision.”