Agenda item

The Council had before it a report by the Director of Resources which provided progress updates on streetscape business case updates for Union Street East, Castlegate, Union Street West/West End, Market to Guild Street Phases 2 and 3, together with the cycle infrastructure options for Market to Guild Street Phase 1 and an overall programme update. 

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)           agree Option 3 in the updated Streetscape Full Business Case (Appendix A and as illustrated in Appendix B);

(b)           agree the Market to Guild Street Phase 1 preferred route identified in Appendix C;

(c)           refer the projects highlighted in recommendations (a) and (b) to the capital planning and budget process for future years’ delivery;

(d)           pending the outcome of the budget process, instruct the Chief Officer - Capital to monitor projects through the capital planning process reporting progress to the Finance and Resources Committee;

(e)           instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to formally approach potential funding partners for future years’ capital funding contributions toward delivery of all streetscape projects in relation to active travel;

(f)             recognising that segregated cycle facilities were now planned along the length of Union Street, agree that proposals for a Queens Cross to City Centre cycle route be re-absorbed into the wider Westhill to Aberdeen Active Travel Route Outline Business Case (OBC), and instruct the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to report the OBC to the Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee later in 2024; and

(g)           note the animation work that had been undertaken to promote the themes within the overarching City Centre and Beach Masterplan, Local Development Plan and Net Zero Aberdeen strategies to children and young people (Appendix D), and thank the young people who had been involved in the project to date.

Councillor McLellan moved, seconded by the Depute Provost:-         

          That the Council approve the recommendations.

Councillor Ali moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Watson:-

          That the Council -

(1)       note with regret the decision by M&S to close its St. Nicholas Street store in spring 2025;

(2)       agree this decision by M&S has been made easier by the nonsensical decision of the Administration not to embrace pedestrianisation within the middle section of Union Street and by their introduction of bus gates, without pedestrianisation which is putting people off using the City Centre;

(3)       agree the decision by the Scottish Government not to use the Barnet consequential to replicate the 75% business rate relief for the hospitality industry matching England means that businesses in Scotland remain uncompetitive compared to the rest of the UK;

(4)       agree recommendation (f) would complement the approved segregated cycle facilities along the whole of Union Street and agree recommendation (g) of the report matches the ambition set out by the previous Administration’s Education Convener when he proposed Children and Young People should be engaged in the Council’s Net Zero strategy; and

(5)       agree pedestrianisation of the middle section of Union Street complements business and citizens requirements as well as the new Market proposal agreed by the previous Administration, therefore instruct the Masterplan Manager to bring forward detailed costs of delivering the much needed pedestrianisation of the middle section of Union Street before the SNP kills of all hope of a recovery within our city centre.

Councillor Boulton moved as a further amendment, seconded by Councillor Mrs Stewart:-

          That the Council -

(1)       agree in principle to redesign the central section of Union Street removing the dedicated cycle lane; and

(2)       refer all of the City Centre Streetscape projects, including the central section of Union Street, to the budget process.

Councillor Brooks moved as a further amendment, seconded by Councillor Farquhar:-

          That the Council -

(1)       agrees not to move forward with proposals for cycle lanes;

(2)       believes that bus gates have made it harder to get across the City Centre and therefore deters visiting the City Centre, which has been detrimental to businesses and will be so even with an improved streetscape;

(3)       therefore, instructs the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to withdraw the Experimental Traffic Order, ahead of its review deadline, which implemented the bus gates because of the current and future damage to Aberdeen’s City Centre; and

(4)       subject to referring the financial implications to the Budget process given its close proximity.

During the course of debate, Councillor McLellan advised that he had a connection in relation to the matter by virtue of his appointment by the Council to the Board of Our Union Street, however having applied the objective test he did not consider that he had an interest and would not be withdrawing from the meeting.

There being a motion and three amendments, the Council first divided between the amendment by Councillor Boulton and the amendment by Councillor Brooks.

On a division, there voted:-

For the amendment by Councillor Boulton  (1)  -  Councillor Boulton.

For the amendment by Councillor Brooks  (3)  -  Councillors Brooks, Farquhar and Mrs Stewart.

Declined to vote  (32)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Ali, Allard, Alphonse, Blake, Bonsell, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Crockett, Davidson, Graham, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, Lawrence, Macdonald, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden, Thomson, Tissera, Watson and Yuill.

Absent from the division  (1)  -  Councillor Grant.

The Council then divided between the amendment by Councillor Ali and the amendment by Councillor Brooks.

On a division, there voted:-

For the amendment by Councillor Ali  (9)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Crockett, Lawrence, Macdonald, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

For the amendment by Councillor Brooks  (4)  -  Councillors Boulton, Brooks, Farquhar and Mrs Stewart.

Declined to vote  (22)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

Absent from the division  (2)  -  Councillors Graham and Grant.

The Council lastly divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor Ali.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (22)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard, Alphonse, Hazel Cameron, Clark, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Davidson, Greig, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Nicoll, Radley, van Sweeden and Yuill.

For the amendment by Councillor Ali  (11)  -  Councillors Ali, Blake, Bonsell, Crockett, Graham, Lawrence, Macdonald, Mrs Stewart, Thomson, Tissera and Watson.

Declined to vote  (3)  -  Councillors Boulton, Brooks and Farquhar.

Absent from the division  (1)  -  Councillor Grant.

The Council resolved:-

(i)             to adopt the motion; and

(ii)           to note that the Masterplan Manager would arrange for a functioning link to be circulated with regard to page 6 of Appendix A.