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Union Terrace Gardens: Council chiefs have been ‘sitting on their hands’

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Council chiefs in Aberdeen have been accused of “sitting on their hands” over the future of Union Terrace Gardens amid outrage at new images of drug-taking in the park.

MSPs demanded urgent intervention from the police and local authority, condemning years of inaction over the city-centre site and the spurning of Sir Ian Wood’s lucrative redevelopment proposal.

However, last night Jenny Laing, the leader of the Labour-led council, defended the progress to date, insisting detailed plans for the gardens would be unveiled later this month.

The sunken Victorian park in the heart of Aberdeen has been at the centre of controversy since 2008 when north-east oil services entrepreneur Sir Ian Wood pledged £50million of his own money to create a new, raised civic space.

Opponents fought the plans and formed the Friends of Union Terrace Gardens campaign group, which continues to work to improve the area.

People go to work, as drug users top-up in Aberdeen city centre…

The City Gardens scheme was abandoned in 2012, despite winning the backing of 52% of the public in a referendum, after the council and its newly elected Labour-led administration supported an alternative proposal to regenerate the area.

However, detailed plans have yet to emerge three years later, and new photographs appearing to show drug abuse in the park triggered renewed calls for action last night.

Alex Johnstone, Conservative MSP for the north east, said: “I’m absolutely outraged. I’ve been aware for a number of years that kind of thing went on in Union Terrace Gardens, and it’s one of the reasons why I always took with a pinch of salt the kind of comments made from those who wanted to save it.

“It’s not something we should have in Aberdeen and it’s something the police should take immediate action on.”

Kevin Stewart
Kevin Stewart

Kevin Stewart, SNP MSP for Aberdeen Central, said: “I think it’s a real problem that needs to be dealt with by various agencies to make sure that these things are not happening in the public realm.

“Beyond that, the administration of the council have said for a very long time that they have proposals for the area, but they have not brought any proposals forward.

“It was stated at the time of the Wood proposals that there would be investment in Union Terrace Gardens, and that has not happened and they need to let the public know what their intentions are for the area.

“Quite frankly, they have sat on their hands on this issue.”

Ms Laing, the leader of the local authority, said detailed proposals were imminent.

“Obviously we’ve been carrying out a city centre masterplan consultation exercise, and the gardens have featured within that,” she said.

“The consultants are due to provide their report and officers will be presenting their recommendations at full council in June.

“We will be looking forward with anticipation to the findings. The council has given a commitment by putting £20million into our budget for city centre regeneration, but this is a 20-25 year plan. It’s wide-ranging.”

Aberdeen historian Diane Morgan, who recently published a book titled, Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens: War and Peace in the Denburn Valley, called for innovative thinking.

“I thought it would be wonderful if Union Terrace Gardens could form the focal point of a floral path through the city centre. In several European cities this has become very fashionable,” she said.

“It would help in Aberdeen if people had a bit more imagination.”

Dustin Macdonald, chairman of Aberdeen city centre community council, said: “We’ve talked about how we could get CCTV down there before, and also about having regular patrols.

“We’ve always said at the least we would like to see better access and it cleaned up. It’s about taking pride in your local area.”