Protest Picnic: Event held against Sir Ian Wood's plan for Union Terrace Gardens. Pic: © STV
A mass protest picnic is to be held in Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens in opposition of plans to turn the area into a civic square.
Around 800 people have confirmed they are to attend the event on June 12 via social networking site Facebook.
Sir Ian Wood’s £140million plans to raise the gardens to street level were approved by city councillors last month. The oil tycoon has offered up £50million of his own money to back the project.
A public consultation into the scheme saw it rejected by 55% of those who took part.
The approval of Sir Ian Wood’s project meant a rival bid by Peacock Visual Arts to build an arts centre in the gardens was halted – despite the centre already having planning permission.
A spokeswoman for the protest picnic said: “It is not planned as a rally with arranged speakers, but is intended as a friendly get together of concerned citizens who value the amenity of the city centre park.”
A 1960s double decker bus is to travel around the city in the days leading up to the event to advertise it.
One of the event organisers Vicky Rider said: “So far the objections to the Civic Square proposal have been represented as the views of a ‘vocal minority’ despite 55% of those consulted rejecting the plans. The picnic gives the citizens of Aberdeen the chance to share their concerns about the future of the Gardens and to show in a dignified way their opposition to the destruction of the park.”
BACKGROUND
- Union Terrace Gardens plans approved
- Pensioners donate £20,000 to alternative gardens vision
- Annie Lennox writes to council over garden plans
- Public reject oil tycoon's garden vision
- Aberdeen gardens public consultation launched
- Heated meeting held over Aberdeen gardens' future
