Pensioners donate £20,000 to alternative gardens vision

STV

Two pensioners have donated a combined £20,000 towards one of two rival bids to redevelop Aberdeen's Union Terrace Gardens.

Councillors are due to make a decision on Sir Ian Wood’s £140million plan to turn the gardens into a civic square later this week.

Peacock Visual Arts claim if Sir Ian’s City Square Project is given the green light, it will effectively scupper their plans to build an arts centre in the grounds.

On Monday, two supporters of Peacock’s plans put their money where their mouths are.

Renee-Margaret Slater, 61, spent her life helping adults with learning difficulties, but due to council cutbacks was made redundant last year. She has £25,000 left from her pay off and wants Peacock’s bid to have £10,000 of it.

She said: “In truth I’d like to keep the gardens as they are. It’s a real beautiful oasis here. The Peacock scheme at least keeps the contours of the valley here. That’s the important bit as far as I’m concerned. They’re going to have tea rooms and they do a lot of work with young people and I think it’s the best option in comparison to Sir Ian Wood’s City Square proposal.

Retired teacher Roddy Millar has also pledged £10,000 to Peacock’s cause out of his retirement fund after hearing of Renee Margaret’s contribution.

“Ever since the controversy over Peacock versus the civic square started I’ve been very vociferous in my opposition to the civic square and very much in favour of Peacock’s plans for a number of historical and artistic reasons. I’ve written a number of letters on the subject and so after reading about Renee Margaret’s kind donation I thought it was time to put my money where my mouth was.”

“[The civic square] is a question of obliterating a very, attractive, natural valley and a street-level ‘decking over’ of that size is going to lack any great visual interest at all. It won’t hold a candle to this tremendous natural amphitheatre.

Mr Millar argued that the cost of the project is not his main concern. He said: “Even if it didn’t cost a penny I’d disagree on the fact that it would look terrible.”

IN DETAIL

Peacock had already secured planning permission and most of the £13million funding needed for a contemporary arts centre in the gardens when Sir Ian Wood announced his alternative City Square Project – towards which he pledged £50million of his own money.

ACSEF, the body steering the Sir Ian’s bid confirmed on Monday that a mystery donor wants to prop up the City Square Project bid with another £5million.

However, the body has refuted reports that the development could cost the city £150million in loan repayments and leave it with 25 years of debt.

Last week council officials recently controversially wrote to all councillors urging them to vote in favour of Sir Ian Wood's plans but Peacock Visual Arts have mounted a strong campaign against it – with support from pop star Annie Lennox - and public opinion remains divided.

The war of words is likely to rage on before Sir Ian’s vision goes before councillors on Wednesday.