Multi-million pound plan to regenerate Aberdeen city centre

A multimillion-pound plan is set to transform Aberdeen's city centre, market and beachfront.

The scheme given the go-ahead by Aberdeen councillors will include the pedestrianisation of Union Street Central, the creation of a new city market and the revitalisation of the beach area, with plans for a pier, new green hub and a state-of-the-art sports area which could include a new stadium for Aberdeen FC.

Aberdeen City Council city growth and resources committee convener councillor Ryan Houghton said: "Exciting changes are happening in Aberdeen and they are a hugely ambitious statement of intent.

"These multimillion-pound projects will create a more vibrant and people-friendly city centre with a fantastic new feature in the new Aberdeen Market as well as create an open and more accessible beachfront with new facilities.

"The plans will not only act to heal the city from the economic damage inflicted by Covid-19 by breathing new life into our city centre, boosting job creation, and promoting a wealth of opportunities to allow businesses and traders to thrive."

Council leader and vice-convener for city growth and resources committee councillor Jenny Laing said: "These projects are truly transformative for the city centre and the beach area and show the depth and breadth of our ambition.

"They will bring real, positive change for the people of Aberdeen, and we look forward to hearing the updates in the months to come."

The report to the city growth and resources committee stressed that although the works are split into projects - the city centre including Union Street and the West End, Aberdeen Market, Queen Street, the beach area, and combined city and beach areas - there are interdependencies of many of the work packages which will require them to be sequenced together.

It also noted that several organisations representing businesses in Aberdeen, including Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels Association, Aberdeen-based McGinty's Group, and international commercial property firm CBRE, have written letters of support for the plans.

For the city centre, the committee agreed to fully pedestrianise the central section of Union Street from Market Street to Bridge Street, except for cyclists and time-limited servicing.

The committee agreed an outline business case for a joint facility with Aberdeen Football Club that it considers a funding model that requires both the council and the club to fund their share with no cross-subsidy.

Ms Laing added: "We have listened to the very businesses we are trying to help who have said we need to do these works to ensure these areas are attractive places to go to and spend time in."