Artist impression of the Marischal Square development
Councillors this evening voted down a bid to halt the controversial Marischal Square development amid angry scenes as members of the public were shut out of a meeting.
The Labour-led administration narrowly fended off the attempt from the opposition SNP group to force a rethink on the £107million Muse Developments hotel, office and retail plan by 22-21.
All councillors voted along party lines bar Conservative Ross Thomson, who sided with the SNP and Liberal Democrats.
The press and public were twice asked to leave the meeting to allow legal advice and subsequent debate to take place in private.
That prompted shouts from protestors that the process was “undemocratic” and lacking in transparency.
The final vote went 22-21 against the SNP motion, which by then included an addendum from the Liberal Democrats on asking for the chief executive to look into how the legal advice made it into the public domain. The administration amendment called for council to note previous decisions on the project and take no further action.
Administration votes to continue with Marischal Square development plans
