It was floated as a bit of a “mad” idea to put Aberdeen on the worldwide map when the city centre first fell into decline.
The oil and gas downturn and massively inflated business rates had hit hard, and business leaders were asking for people to “think out of the box” to help rejuvenate the city.
So Aberdeen architect Chris Smith came up with a plan which would not only link up parts of the city but also act as a major attraction with plenty of “wow” factor.
The Granite City cable car.
Despite normally being spotted in either sunnier or snowier climates, he was convinced it would work.
Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce were interested.
And a feasibility study was soon commissioned to see if the eco-friendly mode of transport could hold up to North Sea gales.
In our exclusive interview with the firm looking to turn the idea into reality, we learn:
- Where the cable car stations would be built under “phase one”
- How many people are calculated to use it every year, and how they could compensate for the £1 million annual running costs
- And how the ambitious idea could boost both the city centre and the beach
Who wants to take Aberdeen cable car plans forward?
Now six years on, after reading about the plans in The Press and Journal, a firm has come forward with an offer to build it – if it gets some support from Aberdeen City Council.
Under initial blueprints, it was hoped the line would link the new South Harbour development in Torry with the beach – and then onto the Castlegate.
But in order to test the waters, Skyline CableWays want to start with a 750-meter stretch connecting Union Street to the seafront.
This is what they are calling phase one.
‘It all comes down to cost’
David Spencer, CEO of the firm, said he had always been fascinated by the idea of developing cable cars for urban usage as an efficient mode of transport.
While looking for cities around the world to invest in, he came across our coverage in 2017 and made an approach to see if his company could take it on.
“We’ve spent years really looking at cities and meeting with a number of people around the country, and in fact around the world, to try to promote this as an idea,” he said.
“And I think it’s probably one of your articles that we’ve picked up on and we introduced ourselves to Chris Smith, and we’ve now done a very high-level study.”
David added: “We commissioned a report on this because all this comes down to is how much is it going to cost – and what kind of a burden is it going to be on the taxpayer?”
There are two options on the table.
What are the two options?
One would require Aberdeen City Council to invest its own cash to underwrite the project.
If successful, it could be something which ends up making a profit for the local authority.
Given the recent closures of swimming pools and libraries and the partnership’s explicit stance about pumping public money into the new Don’s stadium, it feels unlikely they will be putting their hands in their pockets to subsidise this.
The other is for the council to gift the land for substations to the firm.
The developers would then try to find sponsorship to help fund it.
Where would substations be built?
There are two options for the land needed for the stations at the city centre end.
The first is proposed to be on the roundabout at the top of Beach Boulevard.
It would be accessed by elevated walkways to draw in users from Castlegate.
If not suitable, it is proposed the tower be placed in the new Queen Street development which is due to undergo renovation works as part of the city centre masterplan.
At the beach end, David believes there is plenty of space on Queens Links to locate a station.
But if that fails, a station could also straddle the Esplanade.
The closer to the new Aberdeen FC stadium, the better.
Could Aberdeen cable cars make money?
A feasibility study carried out, looking at other similar routes around the world, concluded that up to 560,000 passengers could ride it every year.
This could cost up to £7.7 million to build, depending on the size of the cars.
A further £900,000 would be needed to run it every year.
But it is thought that if fares are charged at around £3.50 for locals and £4.50 for visitors, the annual income could be almost £2.5 million.
What is David’s sales pitch?
David believes there would be real merit in the local authority investing, especially as it would serve both the city centre and beach masterplans.
As roads are scheduled to close to traffic around the area, he feels it would provide a cheap and clean alternative method of transport.
And if well used, phase two could be implemented by joining up the beach with the Torry coast.
Could supporters be taking to the skies to reach Dons games?
The businessman continued: “We looked initially at the scheme, which would have connected it [the beach] up to the cruise port.
“That is quite a long way, and as the cruise port has not been built yet, it really is very difficult to get a handle on what the usage would be.
“So we kind of diverted ourselves to a more manageable scheme to see how this would go.
“It is a fairly short run, it’s less than a kilometre and it was felt that a cable car could act like a bridge almost connecting the two areas.
“So you could spend some time in the heart of Aberdeen and then think, ‘oh let’s just go down to the beach for lunch’.
“And of course, with the talk of the football club moving as well, it will certainly help with that.”
What if the council says no?
If the council refused to fund the project all is not lost.
“There’s always sponsorship, of course,” he said.
“Certainly in London that took a fair chunk of the capital costs. The fact we’re starting with the shorter journey brings the cost down.”
If proven a success, work could start on phase two, which would undoubtedly feature the most impressive views.
A fantastic idea or just pie in the sky?
The idea is to reduce traffic and congestion through the city while offering tourists coming off the ship a clean and sustainable way into the heart of Aberdeen and a proper experience to boot.
“Obviously, for the longer journeys you’ve got higher costs, David said.
“But the journey from the city centre out to the cruise ships will be fantastic. What a great experience that would be.”
“The idea is this could be almost like a pilot scheme. And if this were successful, it could be extended to go from the city centre to any attractions that there are out by the cruise ship terminal.”
And so with a little bit of backing, could the sky be the limit for what was once considered a “wacky” idea for Aberdeen and a cable car?
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