Garthdee Controlled Parking Zone update
Ian Yuill
Liberal Democrat councillor for Mannofield, Airyhall, Braeside, Broomhill, Garthdee, Kaimhill and Ruthrieston Learn more
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Marischal Square – Aberdeen deserves better
by Ian Yuill on 18 October, 2015
The Marischal Square development opposite Marichal College is a huge missed opportunity for Aberdeen. Like many other Aberdeen residents I was and remain very unhappy that this development was given approval. I believe that Aberdeen deserved much better on this key site in our city centre.
On 1st May 2013 my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I voted against the choice of Muse as the council’s preferred developer for the site. Our specific proposal at that council meeting was
“That the Council agree to officers restarting the process to enable the bidders to come forward with alternative designs that will reduce the density of the development in order to ensure that these designs respect the historic setting of Marischal College and Provost Skene’s House, and ensure that the designs incorporate sufficient open public space around Provost Skene’s House, and report these designs to the working group for further consideration.”
We did not believe the Muse proposal (or any of the other options before the council that day) was suitable for this key site in our city centre. We believe that an opportunity was lost to develop the St. Nicholas House site in a way which would have been sympathetic to the setting of both Marischal College and Provost Skene’s House.
More recently, on 8th October 2014, I also voted against granting the Muse development planning permission.
I was one of the councillors who called the special council meeting on 5th March 2015 in a final attempt to get the council to think again about the Marischal Square scheme. Sadly Labour, Conservative and Independent councillors voted to proceed with the scheme. I am hugely disappointed that the opportunity has now been lost to develop this unique site in a way that would have enhanced our city centre.
2 Comments
In addition to all the many cogent arguments opposing this development I am particularly concerned that the muse building which was stated to be a unique building designed to enhance and blend with Old Aberdeen was a misrepresentation of the truth. In fact this design is a carbon copy of the muse development in Salford and very similar to muse buildings in other cities and in London. These are all shown on their website.
A beautiful architecturally superb building should have been the only option for this site (if indeed any building is justified for this magnificent open space) and an architectural competition should have been held to produce a building of the calibre of the new V & A building in Dundee which was the result of an international competition and also the choice of the people of Dundee – a choice which was not overruled by dundee council. Aberdeen councillors have not only lost an opportunity to create a world class space in front of the world class Marischal College but have trashed this site with a worthless monstrosity which will be an eyesore until it is “redeveloped” in the future by a visionary council which believes there is more to life than shopping and profit for multinational business.
To the councillors who voted through this appalling development I suggest they reflect upon the vision of councils like those of Dundee and Falkirk and Bilbao which have transformed their cities into world class destinations with their superb developments. Doing so may help them understand why so many people here think they are not worthy to serve the city of aberdeen.
I completely agree. The Muse scheme is just not good enough for this key site in our city centre