Councillors have voted to tinker with the Aberdeen city centre bus gates - but have failed to adopt the Common Sense Compromise backed by nearly 11,000 people.
Ahead of an emergency meeting yesterday, scores of city centre firms pleaded for councillors to do away with several of the unpopular bus gates blamed for plummeting footfall.
Instead, the SNP and Liberal Democrat group in charge voted only to “look into” removing some of the traffic bans that have hit city centre trade, alongside a pledge to lift the restriction at The Adelphi, temporarily.
The Common Sense Compromise
More than 10,700 people have backed an alternative set of proposals put forward by the business community - the Common Sense Compromise:
- Keep the Guild Street bus gates, along with restrictions on Schoolhill and Upperkirkgate
- Remove the bus gates at the Adelphi and Market Street, allowing access in both directions through Market Street
- Remove the bus gates on Bridge Street, allowing full access in both directions
- Remove the right turn ban on Union Terrace
- Issue a warning rather than a fine to first offenders
- Use fines to help city centre businesses via transport initiatives
Yesterday, council leaders opted only to investigate the potential removal of bus gates on Bridge Street in one or both directions, while looking into allowing traffic to turn right from Union Terrace once again.
There was no clear indication given on how long these studies could take, though leaders hope they will be conducted “as soon as possible”.
Meanwhile, the bus gate at The Adelphi on Union Street will be removed - but it will just be lifted on a temporary basis, during the construction of the new Aberdeen Market. And traffic will only be able to turn left at the bottom of Market Street, on to Trinity Quay.
Reaction
Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Russell Borthwick, said: “We made a direct appeal to the SNP and Lib Dem administration ahead of this meeting – adopt the Common Sense Compromise and restore confidence in our city centre.
“They chose to ignore us – and the 11,000 citizens who backed our proposal and demanded change. For the sake of our city centre, we hope the councillors are right and everyone else is wrong.”
Aberdeeen Inspired chief executive Adrian Watson added: “We are hugely disappointed the council has refused to listen to traders and businesses’ plea to immediately lift the chokehold of the bus gates.
“Struggling businesses needed a Common Sense Compromise reached today, instead the council has kicked it into the long grass, other than a minor concession on the Market Street bus gate that simply doesn’t go far enough.”
He warned: “Traders don’t have the luxury of time to wait for more feasibility studies. They wanted and needed action today.
“The city council has today let down the city traders, put many of them at risk of going under and jeopardised the future of the heart of Aberdeen.”
Victoria Mutch, who runs the Style For Your Shape clothes store on Schoolhill, told the Press & Journal: “What they have proposed isn’t enough. They have blatantly ignored the call for action and instead proposed an even longer delay to ‘look into’ options, time which businesses simply don’t have. It shouldn’t be this difficult to try and run a successful business in Aberdeen city centre.”
Aberdeen City Council said: "The Council is engaging with bus operators, business organisations, and other stakeholders to explore options for delivering the City Centre Masterplan."