Future developments in Aberdeen
Encyclopedia
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.
to upgrade the runway by adding 300 metres in length. 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.
In November 2010 a £10million plan to extend the runway of Aberdeen Airport with 124 meters was given the go ahead, with work expected to begin in March 2011 and end during summer 2012.
There has been a significant negative response to the proposals from environmental campaigners.
There are plans to build an £18 million Hilton Garden Inn
hotel at the airport which is one of eleven hotel developments proposed in Aberdeen.
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.
Other railway proposals include:
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
is the proposed Aberdeen road bypass. With a costing estimated in excess of £300 million the project has seen much controversy from locals and environmentalists. Having been on the cards for a number of years the bypass was finally given the go ahead by the Scottish Government on 21 December 2009. Construction work on the project is likely to commence in 2011.
and St Nicholas 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. 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. 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 in June 2009. The anchor store of this new section will be Next who will move from their current 4retail units in the St Nicholas Centre..
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.
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. The casino opened recently, with the hotel still under construction.
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.
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 2008.
is located at a site that is surrounded by other developments and so there is little room for manoeuvre to upgrade the site. The new site for the proposed stadium will be at Loirston Loch in the Cove area of Aberdeen. There has been much debate as to whether the stadium will benefit from this location but Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen FC prefer this site.
The site is worth £23 million and is on prime real estate and so would be sold to help pay off the club's 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.
As Muir Group own the land around Loirston, there will be a new "village" created around the stadium at a later date and once they gain planning permission. Stewart Milne has also requested planning permission to build 350 homes on the Pittodrie Stadium site.
belong to Aberdeen City Council and are used mainly by Aberdeen Grammar School
. A multi-purpose Astroturf
pitch has been built.
1 billion golf resort and "the world's best golf course" capable of hosting world class events such as The Open Championship
. There has been opposition from some locals and negative reaction from environmental groups, but the project continues.
The development plan for Trump International Golf Links, Scotland (TIGLS) included two 18-hole courses, a 5-star hotel, golf villas, holiday homes, and a golf academy. It was strongly supported by local business leaders but met opposition from some local campaigners and from environmental groups anxious to preserve the 4,000-year-old sand dunes that are designated an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest
). Though recommended for approval by Aberdeenshire Council
officials the development was initially rejected by a local subcommittee of elected members. However it was subsequently approved following a controversial planning inquiry ordered by the Scottish Government in June 2008, at which Trump personally testified. Work began on the site in July 2010.
In March 2009 the Trump Organisation had asked the Council to use its powers of compulsory purchase to acquire some areas of land at Balmedie not forming part of the original TIGLS site for which planning permission already existed. These included four family-owned properties. In response local campaigners established Tripping Up Trump, a movement aimed at protecting the families at Menie being threatened with eviction. When it emerged at the end of January 2011 that Queen
guitarist Brian May
had agreed for the band's hit Bohemian Rhapsody
to be used in a film highlighting the plight of the families, Trump appeared to deny in a media statement that there had ever been an eviction threat, declaring "we have no interest in compulsory purchase and have never applied for it."
In September 2011 the Trump Organisation lodged a formal objection to the proposed construction of a wind farm
off the Aberdeenshire coast not far from the site of the new hotel and luxury housing. Donald Trump also wrote personally to the First Minister of Scotland
protesting mainly on aesthetic grounds at the proposed erection of offshore wind turbines, which he characterised as 'ugly'. His letter claimed that he was protesting on behalf of the Scottish people, 'not... merely for the benefit of Trump International Golf Links.' Donald Trump is not understood to have made any previous objection to any of the large number of other wind farms that have been built in rural locations in Scotland over recent years.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
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
Union Street, Aberdeen
Union Street is a major street and shopping thoroughfare in Aberdeen, Scotland.It was built, along with the adjoining King Street, in the beginning of the 19th Century under plans suggested by Charles Abercrombie to provide an impressive entrance way into the city, and nearly bankrupted the city...
.
Many of the transport initiatives have come about as a result of the NESTRANS
NESTRANS
Nestrans is a partnership between Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council which was a voluntary partnership until it was made statutory by the then Scottish Executive now Scottish Government, in 2006. Its main role is to develop and deliver strategic transport plans across the North East...
voluntry regional transport partnership.
Aberdeen Airport
There are proposals at Aberdeen AirportAberdeen Airport
Aberdeen Airport is an international airport, located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 2.76 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2010, a reduction of 7.4% compared with 2009, making it the 15th busiest airport in the UK...
to upgrade the runway by adding 300 metres in length. This would potentially be long enough to accommodate long haul Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
aircraft, although the purpose is to create a better landing strip for smaller though equally long haul aircraft reaching North America and the Caribbean.
In November 2010 a £10million plan to extend the runway of Aberdeen Airport with 124 meters was given the go ahead, with work expected to begin in March 2011 and end during summer 2012.
There has been a significant negative response to the proposals from environmental campaigners.
There are plans to build an £18 million Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn is a chain of hotels trademarked by the Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Garden Inns are considered to be upscale mid-priced hotels that are designed for both business and leisure travelers. The hotel brand is similar to that of the Courtyard by Marriott brand, a key competitor...
hotel at the airport which is one of eleven hotel developments proposed in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Airport Railway Spur
- Moving the Aberdeen to InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
railway line to run through the Aberdeen AirportAberdeen AirportAberdeen Airport is an international airport, located at Dyce, a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. 2.76 million passengers used Aberdeen Airport in 2010, a reduction of 7.4% compared with 2009, making it the 15th busiest airport in the UK...
terminal, creating a fast link between the airport and the city centre. Currently there is a station at DyceDyceDyce is a civil parish and suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, about north west of Aberdeen city centre, and best known as the location of the city's airport. It is on the River Don.- History :...
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.
Aberdeen Crossrail
The Aberdeen CrossrailAberdeen Crossrail
Aberdeen Crossrail is a proposed railway development in north-east Scotland, first proposed within the 2003 Scottish Strategic Rail Study. It is supported by NESTRANS the north-east's voluntary regional transport partnership....
project wants to see new stations built in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
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.
Other railway proposals include:
- Aberdeen to Banchory.
- Aberdeen to Peterhead.
- Aberdeen to Fraserburgh Maglev. There is a small online campaign group Scottish Maglev Support Group for the first UK Maglev levitating train to be built along a new Aberdeen to Fraserburgh line (via.EllonEllon, AberdeenshireEllon is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately north of Aberdeen, lying on the River Ythan which has one of the few undeveloped river estuaries on the Eastern coast of Scotland. It is in the ancient region of Formartine...
and PeterheadPeterheadPeterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement , with a population of 17,947 at the 2001 Census and estimated to have fallen to 17,330 by 2006....
), as a Maglev test track. This is an unlikely prospect anytime in the near future.
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is a major infrastructure development proposed to take place on the outskirts of Aberdeen, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. First announced in January 2003, the construction has not yet begun...
is the proposed Aberdeen road bypass. With a costing estimated in excess of £300 million the project has seen much controversy from locals and environmentalists. Having been on the cards for a number of years the bypass was finally given the go ahead by the Scottish Government on 21 December 2009. Construction work on the project is likely to commence in 2011.
Bon Accord Quarter
The Bon Accord Quarter Masterplan is a plan to completely redevelop the city centre around the St Nicholas & Bon Accord Shopping Centres, Marischal CollegeMarischal College
Marischal College is a building and former university in the centre of the city of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland. The building is owned by the University of Aberdeen and used for ceremonial events...
and St Nicholas 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. 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. 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 in June 2009. The anchor store of this new section will be Next who will move from their current 4retail units in the St Nicholas Centre..
The next proposal will see the demolition of St Nicholas house, a 1960s skyscraper, which currently houses Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council represents the Aberdeen City council area of Scotland.The council area was created in 1996, under the Local Government etc. Act 1994...
's offices. They will move into Marischal College
Marischal College
Marischal College is a building and former university in the centre of the city of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland. The building is owned by the University of Aberdeen and used for ceremonial events...
, 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
Marischal Museum
The Marischal Museum is the main museum in the city centre of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was established in 1786 and is situated in the architecturally notable Marischal College building, part of the University of Aberdeen....
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.
Shiprow Aberdeen City Wharf Development
On Shiprow the old What Everyone Wants building that also houses an NCPNCP
-Politics:* National Coalition Party in Finland.* National Congress, known as the National Congress Party, a Sudanese political party* Nationalist Congress Party, an Indian political party...
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. The casino opened recently, with the hotel still under construction.
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.Union Street
The city's main street Union StreetUnion Street, Aberdeen
Union Street is a major street and shopping thoroughfare in Aberdeen, Scotland.It was built, along with the adjoining King Street, in the beginning of the 19th Century under plans suggested by Charles Abercrombie to provide an impressive entrance way into the city, and nearly bankrupted the city...
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.
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 2008.
Hotels
Hoteliers are starting to notice an opening in the hotel market in Aberdeen and over the last couple of years there have been numerous planning applications for hotels.- The Bells Lounge/Hotel has been granted planning permission for re-development of its current hotel on Union Street/Justice Mill Lane. The development contains a 10 storey hotel, bar/restaurant and an underground car park.
- Next door to that is the Capitol Cinema redevelopment which is currently awaiting planning permission for a 9 storey hotel.
- A major redevelopment of the Douglas Hotel on Market Street is awaiting planning permission for an 11 storey hotel, office and retail development.
- In conjunction with the City Wharf development Ibis hotels will due to be opening at the end of 2010 / start of 2011.
- Completed hotels in the last couple of years include Jury's Inn at Union Square, Bauhaus Hotel, Park Inn Hotel and the Hilton Garden Inn.
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie StadiumPittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club...
is located at a site that is surrounded by other developments and so there is little room for manoeuvre to upgrade the site. The new site for the proposed stadium will be at Loirston Loch in the Cove area of Aberdeen. There has been much debate as to whether the stadium will benefit from this location but Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen FC prefer this site.
The site is worth £23 million and is on prime real estate and so would be sold to help pay off the club's 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.
As Muir Group own the land around Loirston, there will be a new "village" created around the stadium at a later date and once they gain planning permission. Stewart Milne has also requested planning permission to build 350 homes on the Pittodrie Stadium site.
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 FieldsRubislaw Playing Fields
Rubislaw Playing Fields in Aberdeen, Scotland is an sports field for Aberdeen Grammar School and for the Scottish Premiership rugby union team Aberdeen GSFP RFC. Of course other sports are played here such as Hockey - at National league Level by , football and cricket.An extension to the existing...
belong to Aberdeen City Council and are used mainly by Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department...
. A multi-purpose Astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitch has been built.
Trump International Golf Links, Scotland
In 2006 Trump purchased a 1,400-acre (5.7 km2) plot just north of Aberdeen at Menie (Balmedie), Scotland, with the intention of turning it into a £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 billion golf resort and "the world's best golf course" capable of hosting world class events such as The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
. There has been opposition from some locals and negative reaction from environmental groups, but the project continues.
The development plan for Trump International Golf Links, Scotland (TIGLS) included two 18-hole courses, a 5-star hotel, golf villas, holiday homes, and a golf academy. It was strongly supported by local business leaders but met opposition from some local campaigners and from environmental groups anxious to preserve the 4,000-year-old sand dunes that are designated an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
). Though recommended for approval by Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
officials the development was initially rejected by a local subcommittee of elected members. However it was subsequently approved following a controversial planning inquiry ordered by the Scottish Government in June 2008, at which Trump personally testified. Work began on the site in July 2010.
In March 2009 the Trump Organisation had asked the Council to use its powers of compulsory purchase to acquire some areas of land at Balmedie not forming part of the original TIGLS site for which planning permission already existed. These included four family-owned properties. In response local campaigners established Tripping Up Trump, a movement aimed at protecting the families at Menie being threatened with eviction. When it emerged at the end of January 2011 that Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
guitarist Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
had agreed for the band's hit Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
to be used in a film highlighting the plight of the families, Trump appeared to deny in a media statement that there had ever been an eviction threat, declaring "we have no interest in compulsory purchase and have never applied for it."
In September 2011 the Trump Organisation lodged a formal objection to the proposed construction of a wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
off the Aberdeenshire coast not far from the site of the new hotel and luxury housing. Donald Trump also wrote personally to the First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
protesting mainly on aesthetic grounds at the proposed erection of offshore wind turbines, which he characterised as 'ugly'. His letter claimed that he was protesting on behalf of the Scottish people, 'not... merely for the benefit of Trump International Golf Links.' Donald Trump is not understood to have made any previous objection to any of the large number of other wind farms that have been built in rural locations in Scotland over recent years.