Police were called to Aberdeen’s Green amid a stand-off between the owner of Cafe 52 and council workers who arrived to start demolishing his pavilion.
The drama unfolded on Friday morning when road teams began loading planters surrounding the glazed outdoor terrace onto the back of trucks.
These need to be removed before the structure itself can be taken down.
It comes after a sheriff granted the local authority permission to dismantle the hut to allow construction traffic access to the new market.
However, Cafe 52 owner Steve Bothwell, his mum Dorothy and staff rushed to the scene in a bid to waylay the work.
A stalemate ensued and it’s understood council bosses called the police to intervene.
What happened at Cafe 52?
Aberdeen City Council says the months-long dispute has already delayed work on the £40 million market development hoped to breathe new life into the city centre.
And project insiders today told The P&J that action was only taken after Mr Bothwell was given the chance to arrange the pavilion’s removal himself.
The source added: “He gave undertakings he was going to take it down but he hasn’t done that.”
He stressed that the council had “bent over backwards” to offer assistance – only for their offers to be rejected.
What does Cafe 52 owner say about the stand-off?
Surrounded by staff, his mum and well-wishers who arrived on the scene to show their support, Mr Bothwell spoke to The P&J in between discussions with police.
He insisted that the council had agreed he “could deal with everything” regarding the pavilion and said that had been his plan.
The chef added: “I didn’t deal with it immediately because I work full-time.
“We are arranging taking it down.”
‘I don’t want the council touching my plants’
Mr Bothwell insisted that the planters, some of which were towering over the scene a few yards away on the back of council trucks, were “his property”.
He said he is now arranging for them to be taken to his own home, where he will look after them.
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“I don’t want the council touching them,” he said.
“The last thing I was going to do was let them take away my property. These are my trees. These are my plants.”
Council accused of ‘jumping the gun’
As the clock neared 12, and opening time loomed, the restaurant boss bemoaned the “massive disruption” the drama had caused.
One worried worker told us that the pavilion accounted for about half of the venue’s floorspace, and had fears for what its removal would mean.
Mrs Bothwell, who stopped workers from disconnecting power at the pavilion last month, chipped in: “They jump the gun all the time.
“It’s about time this council was held to account.”
The planters were later unloaded from the council trucks and returned to the area of The Green around Cafe 52.
Mr Bothwell has been given a few days to arrange their relocation.
A police spokeswoman said: “The issues were resolved and the owner arranged transport for the items that were to be uplifted.
“There was no criminality established and suitable advice was provided.”
Cafe 52 owner clears out pavilion as Aberdeen’s Green closes for demolition work
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