Aberdeen bus gates vote: Who defied Common Sense appeal?

Tonight we reveal the 20 Aberdeen councillors who voted to ignore desperate pleas from city centre businesses about the bus gates “putting their futures at risk”.

In the weeks ahead of an emergency meeting, scores of traders called for the council to lift measures blamed for a stagnating economy.

These Common Sense Compromise proposals, backed by 11,000, asked for the bus gates at Market Street and Bridge Street to be lifted straight away – and a ban on right turns at Union Terrace removed.

The Press and Journal helped form the campaign proposals later rejected by the councillors. Image: DC Thomson

However, despite the massive momentum behind the campaign, these pleas fell on deaf ears.

Leading SNP and Lib Dem councillors voted only to temporarily lift the bus gate at the Adelphi, to aid with construction work at the new market, and to investigate lifting traffic restrictions at Bridge Street and on Union Terrace.

More than 24 hours after The Press and Journal requested the list, we can now reveal the names of the 20 councillors who voted against the business community.

What happened during the vote?

During the meeting, councillors within the Town House chambers cast their vote electronically.

This method means that any members of public watching via a live-streamed webcast, or attending in person, do not know how those in the room voted.

However, councillors taking part remotely have to announce their choice.

Council co-leader Ian Yuill said the bus gates in Aberdeen city centre were a "guddled" his Lib Dem and SNP coalition inherited from Labour and Conservative control of the council. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson — Council co-leader Ian Yuill previously said the bus gates in Aberdeen city centre were a “guddle” his Lib Dem and SNP coalition inherited from Labour and Conservative control of the council. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

The SNP’s Lord Provost David Cameron, Alison Alphonse, Hazel Cameron, Jessica Mennie, Miranda Radley and independent Kairin van Sweeden all announced that they wanted to keep the bus gates in place, via online software.

Former SNP group leader Alex Nicoll, whose wife Audrey Nicoll had previously called for councillors to “openly engage” with businesses to “find acceptable options”, appeared not to have heeded her words as he also sided with Mr Yuill.

The SNP’s Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone member Neil MacGregor did not take part in the final decision.

But former Nationalist councillor Kairin van Sweeden, who has been sitting as an independent since a “New Scot” row last year, boosted the total with her vote.

That meant that, ultimately, the administration’s plan was passed by 20 votes to 10.

How many councillors attended Aberdeen bus gates vote?

Only 36 of 45 councillors attended the emergency summit during what would normally have been their summer break.

There were fiery scenes over this, as SNP group leader Christian Allard condemned those who called for the urgent talks and then failed to attend them.

Former Lord Provost Barney Crockett fired back that the meeting would not have been required had the administration discussed it on July 3, as had been originally planned.

Councillor Barney Crocket doubts the SNP and Lib Dems ever wanted to discuss the bus gates at Wednesday's meeting. Image: Isaac Buchan/DC Thomson — Councillor Barney Crocket doubts the SNP and Lib Dems ever wanted to discuss the bus gates at the previous meeting, the day before the election. Image: Isaac Buchan/DC Thomson

Of those present, six councillors abstained from the final vote.

Opposition members did not unite on a competing argument, but their combined forces would not have been enough to outweigh the Lib Dem and SNP votes.

Labour’s Ross Grant, who works for city centre improvement group Aberdeen Inspired, had to excuse himself from the vote due to a conflict of interest.

So why did SNP and Lib Dem leaders vote against Common Sense Compromise?

The Common Sense Compromise proposals were backed by about 11,000 people in an online petition.

However, the SNP and Lib Dem administration argued that the infrastructure had been intended as “bus priority” measures, and they had indeed cracked down on journey times.

Traders and business organisations gathered for a show of unity on Bridge Street. Image: Kami Thomson/DC Thomson

George Street councillor Michael Hutchison even sparked fury by claiming the businesses who had lifted the lid on their struggles were to blame for declining footfall.

In an outburst later branded as “victim shaming”, he said that campaigning against the measures was creating a negative “perception” on the city centre.

Councillor Michael Hutchison. Image: Chris Sumner/DC Thomson

Co-leader Ian Yuill argued that he had listened to businesses, and that’s why the change at the Adelphi and other investigations were part of his winning pledge.

But speaking afterwards, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Russell Borthwick, said: “They chose to ignore us – and the 11,000 citizens who backed our proposal and demanded change.”