Attempt to demolish Cafe 52 outdoor terrace waylaid as owner and mum turn workers away

Aberdeen City Council workers attempted to begin demolition works at the venue on the city's historic Green.

By Denny Andonova

July 4 2024, 1:45 pm

Owner Steve Bothwell's mum Dorothy was the first line of defence when workers came in to start knocking down Cafe 52's outdoor terrace. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

Attempts to start tearing down Cafe 52’s outdoor terrace have been averted as council builders were turned away from the Aberdeen venue.

At the start of May, the local authority asked businessman Steve Bothwell to remove the long-standing structure from the public space it stands on at the city’s historic Green.

Officials told him the area was needed to allow machinery in to build the city’s new £40 million indoor market yards away.

Over the past two months, a tense stand-off has ensued.

Fearful Cafe 52 supporters gathered at the outdoor terrace in June to show the council how much they value the venue. Image: Jamie Ross/DC Thomson.

Mr Bothwell refused to remove it by the May 31 deadline set by the council, and launched a legal fight to save the space.

It came after a months-long fight to win planning permission for the outdoor seating area (eventually granted by the Scottish Government) so he could keep it permanently.

Customers staged a “sit in” in a show of solidarity about a month ago, munching butteries in a peaceful protest.

The Cafe 52 pavilion on the Green, from the edge of the Aberdeen market construction site. Image: Ben Hendry/DC Thomson.

What happened when council builders turned up at Cafe 52?

A crowdfunder has now raised over £10,400 to cover the cost of the owner’s legal bills as he plans to save the terrace.

But it has been confirmed by project insiders that some unsuccessful efforts to dismantle it have still been launched.

Three builders, appointed by the local authority, appeared at Cafe 52 on Thursday morning with the intention of beginning the initial demolition works of the pavilion.

To do that, they required access to the venue so they could disconnect electricity and other services to the outdoor seating area.

Steve Bothwell, Cafe 52 proprietor, is threatening legal action against Aberdeen City Council. Image: Denny Andonova/DC Thomson — Steve Bothwell, Cafe 52 proprietor, has launched legal action against Aberdeen City Council. Image: Denny Andonova/DC Thomson

However, when they approached staff and Mr Bothwell’s retired headteacher mum Dorothy at the door, they were refused entry.

An avid supporter of her son’s business, the octogenarian and fellow Graffiti Grannies painted a “powerful” artwork at The Green in a bid to stop construction at the historic spot.

Dorothy Bothwell, 87, Doreen Davidson, 80, and Martine Shepherd, 70, plan to create a “powerful” message on The Green’s walls. Image: Graham Fleming/DC Thomson.

Mr Bothwell, who was also there when the workers arrived, later told The P&J that any attempts to knock down the pavilion during an ongoing legal action is “unacceptable”.

Determined to keep on fighting, he added that the only way he would ever let workers in is if they come with a warrant from the courts.

What is the council saying?

In light of this, we approached Aberdeen City Council with a series of questions about the legality of their actions and their plans moving forward.

We specifically asked whether the local authority has the right to carry out any demolition works before the legal proceedings have concluded.

We also asked whether they plan to obtain a warrant to enter Cafe 52 despite the owners’ objections.

However, none of our queries were answered.

Instead, a spokeswoman said: “The council is following a legal process. This is a matter between Aberdeen City Council and the business, and we will not be commenting further.”

Read more about what’s happening with the Cafe 52 outdoor seating area: