All six designs are here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-15349687

 

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/visual-arts/online_vision_for_aberdeen_s_union_terrace_gardens_bid_1_2116831

 

Fly through video

 

Caledonia will be happy because everyone in that video is white.

It'll be built by Poles though.

Kids kicking around footballs in that video.  The place will be full of NO BALL GAMES signs within a week.

Kids kicking around footballs in that video.  The place will be full of NO BALL GAMES signs within a week.

 

Plus

No Skateboarding

No Roller Blading

 

FFS sake I love roller blading!

So, the "Granite Web" newspaper came through my letter box today.  In it, they confirm that the "winning" design was the second most popular at the public consultation (I ranked it 5th out of 6 at the consultation).  I think the council have made a big mistake not backing the Winter Garden idea, as I think it would have won the referendum.

 

I walk past the gardens every day and there's never any cunt in them, unless its sunny.  But why should the gardens only be used on a hot day?  I genuinely like the idea of opening up Belmont Street and creating a cafe culture; I think it would make a huge difference.  But this whole campaign (both sides of it) has been a shambles.  Voting forms are being posted out this week and I suspect the real winner will be apathy, and I don't think the Granite Web will win.

Anyone hear any soundbites from last night's debate?  Normally I find Lewis Macdonald to be a disagreeable eejit but on this occasion I could scarcely agree any more with him.  For me, this whole process has been seriously flawed.  No single one of the designs on the shortlist ticked all of the boxes and there shouldn't have been a declared "winner" until a referendum had taken place.  It shouldn't be the case that "here's your design, take it or leave it".  You will have people who strongly preferred other designs voting against the project as a whole and so adding to the "no" vote.

 

Every design has some very good aspects about them and I would have liked to have seen a honed single design incorporating many of these aspects - after the referendum too place and after everyone had their chance to air their views as to what is required.  I was personally never really too interested in a winter garden - what would then happen to the winter garden in Duthie Park?

 

One of the schemes proposed tidying up the "back end" of Belmont Street with new buildings forming an edge.  Fronting on to this new public space, these new blocks would become prime real estate in Aberdeen City Centre, for which there is a  demand. This would also have encouraged alot of pedestrian activity on the new square, which in turn would generate movement up and down the pends that link to Belmont Street.  Another of the designs maintained the arcade at the west end with small boutique style shops, again generating activity.

 

It seems to me that Diller Scofidio & Renfro (the winning landscape architecture practice) have not understood Aberdeen that well.  That said, in my opinion it was the most radical, but it doesn't go far enough and it is anti-contextual in that it just doesn't seem to adequately address what surrounds it.

result's announced tomorrow is it not?

 

did anyone vote?

Over fifty per cent voted apparently which puts the turn out in uk and scottish general elections to shame

Fa won?

Verdict due after 52% vote on city garden

 

By David McKay

 

Published: 02/03/2012

Bookmark with:

 

A total of 86,500 Aberdeen residents have cast a vote in a referendum on the proposed redevelopment of Union Terrace Gardens.

 

As the poll closed at 5pm yesterday, counting officer Crawford Langley said postal ballot papers would be locked away until this morning.

 

Mr Langley will oversee a team of eight staff from independent company Democracy Counts Ltd at the Beach Ballroom to deliver a result that will settle the debate on the controversial City Garden Project.

 

I think its expected at around lunchtime.  Hopefully folk get behind whatever the outcome is.

I think its expected at around lunchtime.  Hopefully folk get behind whatever the outcome is.

 

Whatever the result, the outcome is the same. The gardens will stay the same as they currently are.

Over fifty per cent voted apparently which puts the turn out in uk and scottish general elections to shame

 

over 50%?? sounds like mugabe tactics to me...

STV guy saying its too close to call at the minute with only some postal votes to be counted.

phone and online vote for Union Terrace Gardens has 21, 501 in favour of change, and 16,355 to stay the same.

this is corrupt as fuck

this is corrupt as fuck

 

Bollocks.

 

The ayes have it:

 

"Total votes in Union Terrace Gardens referendum - 41,175 for retaining UTG, 45,301 for the City Garden Project."

this is corrupt as fuck

 

What do you care ye weegie cunt?

Wasn't the best design but never underestimate the silent majority.

 

A lot of the shite I've read about UTG recently is very hypocritical - the gardens are very rarely used, I walk past them every day.

Oh well, the people have spoken, hope it isn't a (very) very expensive mistake

Can't see it ever being built seeing as Network Rail are involved. Ever tried to build anything near some of their (even unused) land? Very restrictive and loads of hoops to jump though. Want to build above their (in use) land? Times that by 1000.

Can't see it ever being built seeing as Network Rail are involved. Ever tried to build anything near some of their (even unused) land? Very restrictive and loads of hoops to jump though. Want to build above their (in use) land? Times that by 1000.

 

Aberdeen - Inverness line to be shut for safety for a year nae doubt.

Aberdeen - Inverness line to be shut for safety for a year nae doubt.

 

Bus replacement to Dyce.

And when you thought it was full steam ahead

 

   

Doubt cast on results of Aberdeen gardens vote - MSP Lewis Macdonald claims council should be free to vote on project

 

LABOUR today claimed there was still doubt over whether people in Aberdeen wanted the City Garden Project.

 

The claim came after 52% of voters in Aberdeen backed the plans in a referendum, with a majority of more than 4,000 in favour.

 

North-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald, who is raising the matter at Holyrood, said there were still questions over the referendum result and the council should be free to vote on the City Garden Project’s future.

And when you thought it was full steam ahead

 

or in other words...

 

 

Labour accused of 'sour grapes' over claims Aberdeen Union Gardens ballot involved 'electoral fraud'

 

 

CALLS have been made for statutory guidelines to be implemented after claims of insecure voting and "electoral fraud" in a city gardens ballot.

 

Labour local government spokeswoman Sarah Boyack said last week's referendum on the redevelopment of Aberdeen's Union Terrace Gardens has "national implications" due to its "absence of fair campaign spending rules" and the voting methods used.

 

The SNP accused her of bringing an inappropriate "sour grapes motion" to Holyrood because the 52% Yes vote did not reflect Labour's opposition to the plan.

 

However, Ms Boyack said the Aberdeen referendum must be considered "in the context of the biggest vote that the people of Scotland are due to make" on independence.

 

She said: "We need to make sure that the rules on referenda are fair, transparent and consistent, so it goes to the heart of this Parliament.

 

She added: "This referendum was held without agreement of all the parties in the council, and there were no effective controls over spending in the campaign, and we have profound concerns about the manner in which the proposals were communicated and the conduct of the referendum."

 

Ms Boyack said there is "no statutory framework for a local referendum".

 

She continued: "I believe that there are sufficient concerns about the robustness of the process conducted in Aberdeen that some thought should now be given by all parties as to how agreement can be reached on local referenda to establish clear principles that should be followed in all cases."

 

She added: "Online and telephone voting were permitted, and those produced a different outcome from the postal ballot.

 

"They were not secure, and anyone opening an envelope containing the voter's ballot paper could obtain the unique identifying number which was all that was need to record a vote.

 

"In a city with hundreds of tenement blocks, and thousands of students in residences, the potential for electoral fraud was clear and police were called in to investigate on more than one occasion, although apparently without anyone charged so far."

 

SNP MSP Mark McDonald asked if Ms Boyack had "any evidence whatsoever that the vote was not secure or solid", as opposed to "idle speculation and scaremongering".

 

Ms Boyack said: "All I need to report to you is that complaints have been made. That surely is enough, and that's why we need an investigation."

 

Infrastructure Secretary Alex Neil said Ms Boyack's motion was "one to be moved in the Aberdeen Council chambers rather than the Scottish Parliament".

 

He added: "I don't think the Labour Party's record on referendums is one to be proud of because, unfortunately, I'm old enough to remember the 1979 (devolution) referendum when it was the Labour Party and Labour MSPs that proposed the 40% rule that denied the Scottish people the assembly they voted for by majority at that time.

 

"And it's the Labour Party, along with their Tory bedfellows, that are now trying to undermine the referendum on independence by various means in the run up to 2014.

 

"This is a sour grapes motion by the Labour Party because they lost the referendum in Aberdeen."

 

The gardens project came about after an offer of £50 million from local businessman Sir Ian Wood.

 

SNP, Tory and Lib Dem north-east MSPs lined up to criticise Labour in parliament.

 

Conservative Nanette Milne branded the party "despicable" for its approach, warning it against overturning the referendum result if elected to run the city council in May.

 

"I'm sorry to say that Labour's motion today appears to have little to do with the future of Aberdeen and everything to do with the future - if there is one - for Labour on Aberdeen City Council," she said.

 

"Their attempt to win council election votes from those who voted against the city garden project is despicable and could well backfire on them."

 

Labour, she said, has "behaved like spoilt brats" since losing the council, and now is unable to come to terms with opposition.

 

The party has opposed local plans including a third crossing over the River Don, the refurbishment of new council HQ Marischal College and now the gardens, she said.

 

Ms Milne added: "Now they're trying to block a once in a lifetime opportunity to regenerate the entire city centre, not just Union Terrace Gardens.

 

"They've rejected the wonderful philanthropic gesture of Sir Ian Wood - a true son of the city."

 

SNP MSP Maureen Watt said the controversial garden plan may help encourage long-term investment.

 

She added: "Given that the local Labour Party tried to make it a party political issue, and I've no doubt are basing their local election campaign on it, they are now in panic mode.

 

"Holding a referendum was the right thing to do. Friends of Union Terrace Gardens supported a referendum. They supported the question asked.

 

"Now we see the Labour Party questioning the whole validity of the referendum."

 

Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald confirmed his party would not back the gardens plan if elected to run the city.

 

He said: "This was the third time public opinion was canvassed, but the first time this project had achieved any kind of majority.

 

"Far from showing strong support, it confirmed what we knew from the previous consultation and from every opinion poll carried out by the local press: that public opinion is divided in the city.

 

"Therefore, the buck stops with those elected to take decisions in the council."

 

Mr Macdonald said he would be happy if the final decision is "based in part" on the referendum result.

 

He added: "I believe a Labour-led council would not seek consent to borrow for this scheme, as it stands. The weakness of the business case is fundamental, as is the lack of any proposal for meeting future revenue costs."

 

Lib Dem MSP Alison McInnes said the debate has been "bitter", and accused Labour of "fuelling negativity".

 

She added: "There is a duty on the city council to work to determine whether the funding package for the scheme really stacks up.

 

"They must be forensic in their analysis and include the kind of costs that Sarah Boyack mentioned."

 

Referring to the refurbished Marischal College, she added: "That's just the start of the renaissance in our city.

 

"The Labour Party can play their part in that, or continue to be negative.

 

"If they choose the latter, they will become utterly irrelevant in the city."