The owner of a prominent west end cafe is the latest to join frustrated traders in their crusade against Aberdeen’s contentious bus gates.
Cafe Cognito are one of dozens who have pledged cash to fight the controversial traffic measures, with a crowdfunder launched last week already reaching more than £9,000.
Spearheaded by fellow west end shop owner Norman Esslemont, the fundraising effort is looking to reach £35,000, which will be used to take Aberdeen City Council to court.
Mr Esslemont last week said launching a legal challenge against the city centre bus gates was a “last resort”, and that he “regrets that it’s come to this”.
However, he vowed to keep on fighting the measures until they are removed.
Who has donated towards the bus gate legal challenge so far?
A host of local businesses have now offered their support to the cause, including hospitality staples such as Cafe Cognito and Caber Coffee.
A whopping £1,000 has also been donated by the wife of Tory councillor Richard Brooks, who has been pushing for the bus gates to be scrapped for months.
She pledged £1,000, saying that in supporting her husband, she gets to take part in the “worthy crusade”
Meanwhile, Cafe Cognito owner, Nicky Turnbull, pledged £500 echoing Mr Esslemont’s concerns over the “destructive impact” of the controversial traffic measures.
Ms Turnbull, who runs two outlets on St Swithin Street and Albyn Place, has been championing local business for years.
She’s also the force behind the West End Farmer’s Market, which has proved a huge hit with locals looking to sample some of the best produce Aberdeen has to offer.
QR codes to help spread the word about bus gate crowdfunder
Another prominent donation has come from Holburn Street’s Caber Coffee, with the roasters saying their £100 were put forward “on behalf of their city centre customers”.
Meanwhile, Michie’s Pharmacy bosses are trying to spread the word about the bus gate crowdfunder far and wide with the help of QR codes.
These will soon be placed across all of their locations to encourage more residents to pledge their support for the legal challenge.
Owner Rosemary Michie has been one of the leading figures in the Common Sense Compromise campaign that traders launched to plead for a rethink of the system.
What happens next?
If traders manage to raise the needed cash, Mr Esslemont’s lawyer, Alasdair Sutherland, will begin building a case against the council’s decision to make the bus gates permanent.
Mr Sutherland argues that this cannot be done without the explicit consent of Scottish ministers – and failing to do so “would be incompetent and unlawful”.
Last week, the local authority’s legal team said they are “not concerned” over the legal threat, while councillors voted to proceed with all bus gate matters as it is.
You can find more details about the crowdfunder and donate here.
Read more:
- Exclusive: Christian Allard wants to leave council for MSP gig – despite telling Aberdeen voters to ‘judge him in 2027’
- Exclusive: Lawyer hired by Aberdeen traders warns council to back down over bus gates ‘or we’ll see you in court’
- Council ‘not concerned’ about legal challenge over Aberdeen bus gates – as ‘totally disrespectful’ leaders ‘stick two fingers up to the public’
Conversation