Future developments in Aberdeen

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 This article or section contains information about planned or expected future infrastructure.
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There are a number of future developments in Aberdeen, Scotland that have been proposed or have begun to be constructed or inititated already. The majority are to upgrade the poor transport infrastructure of the city or to modernise the city centre, particularly around Union Street.

Many of the transport initiatives have come about as a result of the NESTRANS voluntry regional transport partnership.

Contents

[edit] Transport

[edit] Aberdeen Airport

Currently there are proposals at Aberdeen Airport to upgrade the runway by adding 300 metres in length.[1] This would potentially be long enough to accommodate long haul Boeing 747 aircraft, although the purpose is to create a better landing strip for smaller though equally long haul aircraft reaching North America and the Caribbean.[1]

There are also plans to upgrade the terminal, the first phase of which is nearing completion with an extension of the departure lounge with a new cafe and an increased number of shopping units.[1]

There has been a significant negative response to the proposals from environmental campaigners.[2][3]

[edit] Aberdeen Airport Railway Spur

  • Moving the Aberdeen to Inverness railway line to run through the Aberdeen Airport terminal, creating a fast link between the airport and the city centre.[4][5]Currently there is a station at Dyce on the opposite side of the runway from the terminal. Although used by airport staff and tourists, those unfamiliar with the city do not often venture across the airport to the nearest station.

[edit] Aberdeen Crossrail

The Aberdeen Crossrail project wants to see new stations built in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire as currently there are not enough stations to cover a high percentage of the population. The proposals could lead to a half-hourly commuter service between Inverurie, Aberdeen and Stonehaven during the daytime.[4]

Other railway proposals include:

  • Aberdeen to Banchory.[4]
  • Aberdeen to Peterhead.[4]
  • Aberdeen to Fraserburgh Maglev. There is a small online campaign group Scottish Maglev Support Group[6] for the first UK Maglev levitating train to be built along a new Aberdeen to Fraserburgh line (via.Ellon and Peterhead), as a Maglev test track. This is an unlikely prospect anytime in the near future.

[edit] Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route

Aberdeen Greenbelt Alliance protest poster
Aberdeen Greenbelt Alliance protest poster

The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is the proposed Aberdeen road bypass. With a costing estimated in excess of £300 million the project has see much controversy from locals and environmentalists. Having been on the cards for a number of years the bypass looks finally to get the go ahead and will likely be completed around 2010.

[edit] Wellington Suspension Bridge

The Wellington Suspension Bridge connects Aberdeen to Torry but has been closed to the public since 2003 due to structural problems. The bridge is a Grade A listed building (categorised as a building by law as opposed to a bridge) and has been earmarked for funds to refurbish it an open it up as pedestrian footbridge to the public.[7]

[edit] City Centre

[edit] Bon-Accord Quarter

The Bon-Accord Quarter Masterplan[8][9] is a plan to completely redevelop the city centre around the Bon Accord-St Nicholas shopping centre, Marischal College and St Nicolas House.

The plan proposes that the two next door shopping centres the Bon Accord and St Nicholas will become one large shopping centre by 2010.[10] This will involve building a second floor on the single story St Nicholas Centre and then connecting it to the Bon Accord Centre via. an enclosed bridge across Schoolhill.[10] The St Nicholas centre was originally designed with the possibility of a second floor in mind.

Also the Bon Accord Centre will see a new entrance being built at Gallowgate with another wing added to house more retail units. This is currently under construction and is due for completion next year.

The next proposal will see the demolition of St Nicholas house, a 1960s skyscraper, which currently houses Aberdeen City Council's offices. They will move into Marischal College, which has been rented by the council for 100 years from Aberdeen University. The college which is largely empty will see its rooms which are largely in a state of disrepair upgraded before the council move in. The Marischal Museum and other university sections in the rear of the building will however remain.

The final proposal is to upgrade the area of George Street next to John Lewis to bring it more into the Bon-Accord Centre.

[edit] Shiprow What Everyone Wants Development

On Shiprow the old What Everyone Wants building that also houses an NCP car park is undergoing a £27 million development which is turning the building (voted one Aberdeens worst seven buildings in a poll) which will see it get a face lift from the current late 20th century modern facade and have a 107 room hotel and casino built inside.[11][12]

[edit] Union Green

The Green just off Union Street is proposed for redevelopment. Currently a small area attracts boutique shops the dilapidated Aberdeen Market that blights the area has been proposed for an upgrade or indeed demolition to pave the way for retail regeneration of the area.

[edit] Union Street

The city's main street Union Street is currently undergoing pedestrianisation. The street itself is currently still open to traffic as the first phases of the pedestrianisation involve extensive upgrades of the roads that will take the strain of the current traffic once it has been closed. Recently both Market Street and Bridge Street have been upgraded, with Market Street's closure causing chaos in the city centre in the run up to Christmas.

[edit] Union Square

For a number of years the Union Square shopping centre project has been a start-stop development with various problems attracting tenants to the new centre and arguments with the nearby train and bus stations.[13]

Due to be completed in spring 2009 and now finally going ahead the project will provide Scotland's second-largest shopping centre, complete with a multiplex cinema and links to a new transport hub at the nearby Aberdeen railway station and the Guild Street bus station.

[edit] Sport

[edit] Pittodrie Stadium

Pittodrie Stadium is located at a site that is surrounded by other developments and so there is little room for maneuvre to upgrade the site. There had been proposals to move the stadium to the outskirts of the city- within proximity of the Aberdeen Bypass but these have since been scrapped and any relocation will be close to the existing site.

The site is worth £23 million[14] and is on prime real estate and so would be sold to help pay off the clubs debt. The club and the city council envisage building a community stadium that would give the club guaranteed match day rental. This would lead to better cost efficiencies for the club and more use of the stadium for community projects and events.[14]

[edit] Rubislaw Playing Fields

Planning permission has been granted to build an extension with enhanced changing facilities adjoining the existing Rubislaw Field Pavilion. The Rubislaw Playing Fields belong to Aberdeen City Council and are used mainly by Aberdeen Grammar School. A multi-purpose Astroturf pitch has been built.

[edit] Trump International Golf Links, Scotland

The biggest of the future developments in Aberdeen, the Trump International Golf Links, Scotland may be built by American billionaire Donald Trump subject to receiving planning permission. The decision to refuse planning permission is currently the subject of a political investigation. The £300 million scheme at Menie in Aberdeenshire would see a brand new links golf course built, which is planned to be the best in the world and capable of hosting world class events such as The Open Championship.[15] There are also plans to build a 300 bedroom five star hotel and hundreds of detached holiday homes at the often fog bound and wind swept site.

There has been controversy by environmental groups who fear for the protection of the sand dunes and local archaeologists who (although not against the project) want to ensure the local archeology left by stone age dwellers in the area is properly excavated first.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Aberdeen Airport Masterplan. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  2. ^ Aviation Protests in Aberdeen. Aberdeen Against Climate Change. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  3. ^ Aberdeen Airport Expansion 'Environmental Madness'. Friends of the Earth. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  4. ^ a b c d Scottish Strategic Rail Study - Final Report. Scottish Executive. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  5. ^ Scottish Strategic Rail Study (Working Paper 7). Scottish Executive. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  6. ^ Scottish Maglev Support Group. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  7. ^ Landmark Wellington Suspension Bridge in line to be re-opened to the public. Aberdeen City Council. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  8. ^ Aberdeen set to become top retail destination. Property Executive News. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  9. ^ City centre Masterplan wins unanimous approval. Aberdeen City Council. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  10. ^ a b The Bon Accord Masterplan- Draft. Aberdeen City Council. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  11. ^ Bell & Scott's Sector Knowledge- Developments. Bell & Scott's. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  12. ^ Aberdeen Civic Society, Seven Worst Parts of Aberdeen. Press and Journal. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  13. ^ Council leader welcomes Union Square proposals. Aberdeen City Council. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  14. ^ a b North East Scotland community stadium. Aberdeen City Council. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
  15. ^ Donald Trump plans £300m "golfing paradise" for rural Scotland. Wikinews. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.