Works to progress on new market

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Construction work on the new Aberdeen Market will progress this month with scaffolding erected to the front of the former British Home Stores building on Union Street and at the rear on the East Green during structural alterations.

To allow this work to be completed safely, the East Green between its junctions with the Green and Carnegie Brae will be temporarily closed to vehicles from 07:30hr on 16 September 2024 until 23:00hrs on 30 September 2025. Pedestrian access will be maintained at the rear of the properties on East Green.

The substructure work to install new ducting and drainage on the market site will also begin. This work may generate some noise and dust at times as it involves cutting and removing sections of the ground level concrete slab. The site team will have mitigation measures in place to minimise any impact during this work.

On completion of the drainage installation, work will begin to waterproof the existing ground level concrete slab and will continue until December 2024.

During these works, shops and businesses in the Green will remain open for business and access for the public will be maintained.

If you have any questions or would like more information about this project, please feel free to contact the site team via email at streetscape-market@morrsionconstruction.co.uk.

If you would like to receive email updates, for the work on the Aberdeen Market or/and Union Street you can sign up by emailing the site team at the above address. Alternatively, you can register your email address to be alerted when updates for any of the City Centre and Beach Master Plan projects are posted on the website, the registration section is at the bottom of the home page.

Consultation for Queen Street Urban Park

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Plans are progressing to create a new urban park on land at Queen Street in the City Centre, following recent approval at Aberdeen City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee.

The redevelopment of Queen Street as a whole will create the opportunity to introduce new uses into the area, as well as new public spaces. The wider project will improve the amenity of the area and encourage economic and environmental sustainability in this key City Centre location. The Council’s investment in this space also aims to help stimulate investment from surrounding private building and landowners. Options for the redevelopment of the former Police HQ are being reviewed by the Council but the urban park, which will be on the land on the other side of Queen St from the former HQ, has approval to progress.

The Council’s design team are now finalising their designs for the urban park in advance of a planning application in September. This follows several months of detailed and constructive engagement with neighbouring organisations and other stakeholders.

The urban park concept includes provision for outdoor seating and informal performance areas, a sensory garden, terraced garden and enhanced street greening. Each space within the new urban park will perform a range of environmental and social functions, categorised into the overarching themes of urban nature, community, heritage and arts and culture.

If you would like to find out more about the proposals from the design team please come along to a drop-in event on Thursday 29th August, from 4pm to 7pm, at Aberdeen Arts Centre. There will also be the opportunity to comment on the proposals when a planning application is lodged in September.

Full consultation is available to view here: Queen Street Consultation Boards

Next stage of works to begin on Union Street Central

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The next stage of works on Union Street Central are due to begin on Monday with the installation of a new drainage system.

This will involve removing old tram tracks which were buried below the existing road surface and removing small sections of the concrete slab. This process will generate noise and dust at times and measures will be taken to minimise the impact.

The drainage works are expected to take around six weeks and are expected to be completed by Friday 27 September 2024.

Once the drainage installation is completed, the remaining concrete slab will be removed and preparations will begin to install the new kerb area.

During these works shops and services in the Union Street Central area will remain open for business as normal and access for the public will be maintained.

Anyone who has any questions or requires further information about the works can contact the site team by email on streetscape-market@morrisonconstruction.co.uk.

Councillors back updates for Queen Street and the Castlegate

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Significant updates on two major city centre improvement projects – a new urban park and streetscape works to the Castlegate – have been agreed today by Aberdeen City Council.

Detailed and technical design along with the negotiation and execution of contracts for delivery of the construction programme are to take place for both the urban park in Queen Street and the Castlegate public realm improvements.

Both projects, which were approved at Finance and Resources Committee, are part of the City Centre and Beach Masterplan (CCBMP) which is designed to reinvigorate the areas culturally and economically, attracting people to spend time in them to live, work or visit.

Committee convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “Aberdeen City Council is moving forward with plans for an Urban Park at Queen Street and the resurfacing of the Castlegate  – further investing in our city centre to ensure that it remains a place people want to live, work, invest or visit on holiday.

“Queen Street’s urban park will create a new unique location in our city centre which I am sure people will enjoy in years to come. “

Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “This investment in the Queen Street urban park and the improvements to the Castlegate complements other projects including Union Street central, the new market building, the new playpark and events park at the beachfront, and other initiatives such as the Council’s £1million Empty Shops Grant Scheme.

“These projects all have key roles in creating a vibrant and exciting city centre for people to visit, shop, work, invest, and spend time.”

The report to committee said the urban park concept includes provision for outdoor seating and informal performance areas, a sensory garden, terraced garden and enhanced street greening.

Each space within the new urban park will perform a range of environmental and social functions, categorised into the overarching themes of urban nature, community, heritage, and arts and culture.

The scheme will have a single recognisable identity as Queen Street Urban Park. However, within the park a series of subspaces are proposed, allowing for different uses and each with a subtly different character.

Phase one of the urban park would be to the north side of Queen Street in a disused area, and phase two would be the site of the former police headquarters.

The committee also agreed the scope and cost the demolition of the former police headquarters should be sought, as developers’ feedback from market testing to date has indicated a preference to demolish the current office building and prepare the site ready for future development.

The report said the Castlegate streetscape improvements are designed to reestablish the area as a central civic location, providing a high quality space which creates a destination at the end of Union Street and encourages sustainable economic activity.

The space also provides an important gateway to the beach, be a focus for visitors and tourists, and help to deliver the city’s events programme.

The project comprises public realm and streetscaping improvements including street furniture, public art, improved lighting, enhanced street greening. An active travel route for pedestrians and cyclists will be included through the Castlegate towards the beachfront, along with vehicular access for servicing businesses.

 

Union Street Central streetscape works drive forward with road surface removal

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Works to improve the streetscape in the Union Street Central section of Aberdeen have continued with the removal of the top layer of the road surface.

A specialist machine was used by contractors to skim the tarred surface down to expose the concrete base underneath the road. The 100m section of the street was cleared in a day. The asphalt planings were taken away from site to be recycled.

The next stage of work to be carried out will be the removal of the concrete base from this section of the roadway to allow the installation of new drainage and utility services. Once this work has been completed work will begin to install new wider pavements with a cycle lane, using locally sourced granite, a new road surface and a plaza entrance for the new market.

Shops and businesses on Union Street Central remain open and accessible for pedestrians and deliveries during the works. The public can visit the city centre using public transport or car parks to access shops and services.

Next Steps For Union Street Central Streetscape Works

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The next stage of essential preparation works for the Union Street Central improvements project will start on Monday 3 June.

Site staff will begin excavating trial holes along the south side of Union Street Central for the next two weeks. These trial holes will give the team a better understanding of the areas where the new roadside gullies are to be installed.

This work will be carried out Monday-Friday between 8am and 6pm and should be competed on Friday 14 June, although they are weather dependent.

The team will be using a vacuum excavator for these works and it will be switched off when not in use to minimise any disruption. The trial holes will be securely fenced off and backfilled and resurfaced once the investigations are completed.

Once the trial holes work is completed, the site team will be erecting hoarding around the first construction area. This hoarding will be 100m long and will be erected along the south side of Union Street Central from the Market Street junction. This is expected to take place the week commencing 17 June.

‘Soft Start’ necessary for Union Street Central works

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You may have been wondering why there appears to be little construction activity in the Union Street Central area after the lane restrictions were implemented at the end of April 2024.

There are two main reasons for this ‘soft start’ approach to the project:

  1. An initial settling in period was necessary to allow delivery drivers, taxis and cyclists get used to the one-way access lane running west from Bridge Street towards Market Street. This one-way direction of travel has been established for the safety of pedestrians using the area and to ensure road users who still have access are familiar with the traffic management layout before the main construction workforce arrive on site.
  2. There are a great deal of pre-construction works to be carried out before the main improvement works can begin. These works are being carried out by small teams of one or two site staff performing essential surveys and checks which must be completed before the main construction work can begin.

These types of work often go unnoticed by the public and include:

  • pre-condition surveys on building adjacent to the work area
  • noise surveys to establish a baseline for noise prior to the start of works
  • checking street surface levels
  • surveying drainage and utility services locations

The surveys and checks are necessary as maps and drawings showing drains, cables and other utilities may be out of date or missing vital details. Some of the storm drains currently being located and checked under Union Street date back to when it was originally built 200-years ago.

This survey work will shortly move forward with ‘trial pits’ being dug in parts of the street to allow further investigations. The surveys may uncover utility cables and other works not recorded on any maps or technical drawings and we need to be check to see if they are still operational.

Site cabins and other equipment will shortly begin to be placed in the project area and there will be increased activity by utility firms.

The Union Street Central shops and businesses are open for business as usual with full pedestrian access during all of this. The only change is that buses are being diverted away from the Union Street Central section and new temporary bus stops have been established on Bridge Street and Market Street for the duration of the work.

After completing the pre-construction activities, we will erect site hoardings around the first 100 meters of the construction area at the Market Street end. Once the site hoardings are up the main construction work will begin.

Union Street Central launches Open For Business campaign

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Owners and managers of shops, cafes, and services on Union Street Central have put their weight behind a campaign to reassure people the area is open for business during major improvement works.

The improvement works in the Union Street Central area – between the Market Street and Bridge Street junctions – will make it more attractive and vibrant while promoting walking and cycling as part of the City Centre and Beach Masterplan. The works include new pavements with Scottish whin stone, locally-sourced granite for the new street surface including cycle lanes, and will help to create a plaza pavement entrance to the new market building.

During the works, access will continue to all shops and businesses for pedestrians, as well as access for delivery vehicles.

Angela Smith, who owns Aberdeen Gift and Tourist Shop, said: “It’s important that people know the city centre and Union Street is open for business and that everybody is welcome whether you are local or a tourist.”

Bob Smith, who owns Aberdeen Vinyl Records, said: “The campaign is a reminder to everybody that Union Street is well and truly open.

“Shops have and are bringing in lots of stock which is unique to the city so there are lots of reasons to come to Union Street.”

Kenny Bruce, centre manager at The Trinity Centre, said: “There is a wide variety of shops, cafes and services in the Union Street Central with something for everybody and businesses are here and ready to welcome people to the area.”

Colin Thomson, commercial manager at The Trinity Centre, added: “It’s important that people continue to emphasise the positivity and continue to spread the word that Union Street Central is open for business.”

The works for the first few months will include trial holes dug in the road to find exact locations of utilities, removing all street furniture on the south side then the north side, removing the road surface, installing drains, gully traps, ducting, and kerbing.

In the first few weeks, There is some activity taking place with surveying and other inspections which do not involve cutting through the road surface at present so there is no visual impact on the Union Street Central.

The works, which are being carried out by Morrison Construction in parallel to the works being carried out to construct the new market building, include several mitigations for shops and businesses in the area including:

  • Access to all shops and businesses for pedestrians;
  • Access for delivery vehicles;
  • One lane east-bound will be available at all times for emergency vehicles, refuse collections, and deliveries. Existing business loading restrictions will continue no loading 8am to 9.30am, 12.30pm to 2.30pm, 4.30pm to 6pm.
  • The taxi rank in Back Wynd will be for day and night taxis;
  • Buses have been re-routed either via the bus priority route (Market Street, Guild Street, and Bridge Street), Union Terrace, or Schoolhill – see bus company websites for information on individual routes.

A works site compound is to be created in Union Street Central area and works will move east to west (from Market Street to Bridge Street) with information and colourful hoarding surrounding the closed-off area.

The area is being split into three sections of 100m each, moving south and north of the street, to allow for a continuous access road through the site for taxis, delivery vehicles and cyclists.

Works are due to be completed, depending on what is uncovered by utility companies, weather, and world-wide supply-chain availability of materials, in autumn 2025.

The City Council is to receive £20million from the UK Levelling Up Fund which will be used towards the development of Union Street Central and the new market building.

The shops and businesses located in the Union Street Central area are:

 

SOUTH SIDE

(From Bridge Street)

Barclays

Greggs

Millets

The HMV Shop

Trinity Centre

Clothes & Home

Pep & Co

Poundland

Chopstix Noodle Bar

Trinity Centre

Primark

Northern Diamond

Nationwide

Back Wynd Stairs

Refill Station

Vapes & Phones

Cancer Research UK

Taco Bell

McDonalds

Popeyes

JD Sports

Aberdeen Gifts and Tourist Shop

Aberdeen Vinyl Records’

New market building

HSBC

Attic

Dizzy’s

 

NORTH SIDE

 (From Union Terrace Gardens)

Jamieson & Carry

Rolex

Belmont Street

TAG Heuer

Ramsdens

Adam’s Watch Specialist

Bargain Buys

Arcadia Bar & Games

German Doner Kebab

Beaverbrooks

Back Wynd

St Nicholas Kirk & Correction Wynd Stairs

iCrack

Peterkins

Smart Mobile

Timpsons & The Watch Workshop

Pro Mobile

RBS

St Nicholas Street

The Gulls of Aberdeen

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Children and young people from Aberdeen have been working with Aberdeen City Council to bring to life the key themes from some of Aberdeen’s place-based strategies. The Aberdeen City Centre and Beach Masterplan, the Local Development Plan, the Net Zero Aberdeen Routemap and the Aberdeen Adapts Framework all set out long-term ambitions for the future of our city.  Ensuring that children and young people are able to access and understand the key themes within these documents, and be able to express their views, feelings and wishes on them, has been the focus of a recent youth engagement project.

Comic books and animations introducing Dave and Sam are the output of a series of workshops during 2023 where children and young people prepared storyboard drawings, sketches and voice overs to help other children and young people understand the content of Aberdeen’s key place-based strategies, and feel encouraged and able to make comment on what is happening in their city. This is in line with Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which states that children should have their views considered and taken seriously on matters which affect them.

The comic books and animations will be supported by a guide for teachers and parents which will include links to how Dave and Sam can help to support elements of the Curriculum for Excellence, with the hope that other children and young people will feel able to talk about and voice their opinions on what is happening in their city.

The comic books can be found here:

The animations are on the Aberdeen City Council’s YouTube channel here:
Episode One https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7qs4DqJPoE

Episode Two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_OeNzhjlDY

Episode Three https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0edv1yLeJg

Episode Four https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwD3trQne-U

The guide for teachers and parents can be found here: (coming soon)

The strategies which inform the content of the Dave and Sam comic books and animations can be found below:

The Aberdeen City Centre and Beach Masterplan – https://committees.aberdeencity.gov.uk/documents/s135130/CCMP%20-%20Appendix%202%20-%20City%20Centre%20Beach%20Masterplan%202022.pdf

The Local Development Plan 2023 – https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/planning-and-building-standards/local-development-plan/aberdeen-local-development-plan

The Net Zero Aberdeen Routemap and Aberdeen Adapts Framework- https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/net-zero-aberdeen/net-zero-aberdeen-routemap-enabling-strategies

If you have any queries about this work please contact us via LDP@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Biggest change in 200-plus years to Aberdeen’s Union Street starts today

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City leaders today hailed the start of works upgrading a section of Aberdeen’s main thoroughfare of Union Street as a major milestone to revitalising the Granite Mile – the biggest change to the street since it was built more than 200 years ago.

The works to the Union Street Central area – between the Market Street and Bridge Street junctions – will make it more attractive and vibrant while promoting walking and cycling as part of the City Centre and Beach Masterplan. The works include new pavements with locally-sourced granite, a road surface, and cycle lanes, and will help to create a plaza entrance to the new market building.

During the works, access will continue to all shops and businesses for pedestrians, as well as access for delivery vehicles.

Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “The work to Union Street central will complement the new market building and contribute to making our city centre an even more attractive place to visit.

“This investment in Union Street central, the new market building, and other initiatives such as the Council’s £1million Empty Shops Grant Scheme, all have key roles in creating a vibrant and exciting city centre for people to visit, shop, work and spend time.”

Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Christian Allard said: “The new high-quality streetscaping for Union Street Central is the next step to make Aberdeen’s city centre a great destination for residents and visitors to enjoy.

“Union Street which is 200 years old is due a makeover – a local makeover as local and Scottish materials are being used for the streetscaping which will help the economy.”

Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “We need to ensure Aberdeen is a modern, forward-thinking city and create a place people want to visit.

“We have already seen huge investments in various city centre regeneration projects – the Music Hall, the Art Gallery, MSQ, Union Terrace Gardens and Provost Skene’s House to name but a few – and this represents another step in the right direction.

“We are beginning to see real momentum in making Union Street, creating a more vibrant place to live, work, and relax. This will have huge benefits for our businesses and our people for years and decades to come.”

Bob Keiller, chairman of Our Union Street, said: “This is a huge positive step for Union Street that complements the many smaller steps that we are taking to re-energise the city centre. I have no doubt that there will be some disruption, but it will be worth it – the new market will also be a great addition.”

Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “The changes about to be made to Union Street Central – not least the creation of a new £40million market building – will be transformational.

“While there will be inevitable disruption from months of construction work, it must be stressed pedestrian access will be maintained to all premises throughout the works. Union Street will be open for business.

“That message cannot be repeated loudly enough or often enough in the coming months. Aberdeen Inspired, along with other stakeholders including the city council, will take every opportunity to tell the public, here in the city and further afield, that Union Street shops, restaurants, attractions, and businesses are waiting to welcome customers. And we will all work to support businesses as Union Street is changed for the better.”

The City Council is to receive £20million from the UK Levelling Up Fund which will be used towards the development of Union Street Central and the new market building.

UK Government Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young said: “I’m delighted that the regeneration of the Granite Mile and transformation of Aberdeen city centre is underway, made possible by £20m of levelling up funding from the UK Government.

“These changes will make a huge difference to residents and local businesses as well as strengthen Aberdonians’ pride in their city. I look forward to visiting when this brilliant levelling up project is completed.”

The works, which are being carried out by Morrison Construction in parallel to the works being carried out at the new market building, include several mitigations for shops and businesses in the area.

The mitigations include:

  • Access to all shops and businesses for pedestrians;
  • Access for delivery vehicles;
  • One lane east-bound will be available at all times for emergency vehicles, refuse collections, and deliveries. Existing business loading restrictions will continue no loading 8am to 9.30am, 12.30pm to 2.30pm, 4.30pm to 6pm.
  • The taxi rank in Back Wynd will be for day and night taxis;
  • Buses will be re-routed either via the bus priority route (Market Street, Guild Street, and Bridge Street), Union Terrace, or Schoolhill – see bus company websites for information on individual routes.

The Union Street Central area will be closed to traffic between Bridge Street and Market Street and a works site compound created in that area. Works will move east to west (from Market Street to Bridge Street) with works information and colourful hoarding surrounding the closed-off area.

The area is being split into three sections of 100m each, with each phase of work starting in the first 100m on east side (closest to Market Street) before moving on to the second section and then the third (closest to Bridge Street).

The works for the first few months will include:

  • trial holes dug in the road to find exact locations of utilities;
  • removing all street furniture on the south side then the north side;
  • removing the road surface;
  • installing drains, gully traps, ducting, and kerbing.

There will also be works carried out by utility companies at the same time replacing and upgrading existing utilities when the road is opened up.

Works are due to be completed, depending on what is uncovered by utility companies, weather, and world-wide supply-chain availability of materials, in autumn 2025.