What was the point of the referendum?
14/05/12 18:44 Filed in: Granite Chips
So we had a referendum so that the electorate could decide whether Aberdeen should go ahead with the City Garden Granite Web plan and the other elements in the funding package, or abandon the plan and stick with the existing Union Terrace Gardens.
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Read More...Sour grapes leave a bad taste
08/03/12 12:28 Filed in: Granite Chips
So we had the referendum that was intended to decide once and for all whether Aberdeen should go ahead with the City Garden project. The result was a majority of more than 4,000 votes in favour of the new city centre park.
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Read More...Aberdeen bypass opponents lose appeal
01/03/12 13:00 Filed in: Granite Chips
William Walton’s appeal, on behalf of Road Sense, agains the rejection of the legal action against the long-delayed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, has been rejected by the Court of Session.
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City Garden is 'all or nothing' vote on city centre investment
04/02/12 13:30 Filed in: Granite Chips
I should probably not be surprised, given the amount of confusion and misinformation that has surrounded the argument about the City Garden project. But, I am now amazed to find that the ‘referendum on the gardens’ is not just a ‘referendum on the gardens’.
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Read More...City Garden could create 6,500 new jobs
19/01/12 17:15 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Aberdeen City Garden Project could create 6,500 new jobs and inject £122 million annually into the local economy according to a new report by PwC.
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Read More...'City shopping footfall nosedives'
21/11/11 12:03 Filed in: Granite Chips
Today’s Press and Journal reports that the number of people visiting shopping areas in Scotland has nose-dived in the past year with a 9% drop in footfall. This comes as no surprise, but there is no pleasure in pointing out that this concern has been a recurring theme in this blog over the years.
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Read More...City Garden designs go on display
19/10/11 10:33 Filed in: news | Granite Chips
The six short-listed designs for the City Garden project in Aberdeen have gone on show today at the city’s Academy Shopping Centre.
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Read More...Are Aberdeen's visitors spongers or wealth creators?
27/09/11 15:15 Filed in: Granite Chips
Last week Aberdeen city Councillor John Stewart reportedly made the comment that: “Frankly, the city has been subsidising people from outside the city for too long”.
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Read More...Aberdeenshire transport strategy consultation
15/09/11 15:14 Filed in: news
Earlier this year, Aberdeenshire Council undertook public consultations inviting views on what the future transport priorities should be in Aberdeenshire.
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Read More...What do you mean fast link not in consultation?
01/09/11 16:46 Filed in: Granite Chips
Have I got this right? Does the RoadSense argument with the Aberdeen bypass come down to the Stonehaven fast link not being included in the 2004 route consultation? From what I read in the press it seems to.
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Read More...RoadSense - Stop the Nonsense!
27/08/11 11:16 Filed in: Granite Chips
In less than 24 hours more than 500 people have signed a petition urging William Walton and RoadSense to abandon their appeal, which could delay the start of work on the Aberdeen bypass by at least another nine months.
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Read More...Dismay at continuing bypass misery
25/08/11 11:38 Filed in: Granite Chips
After the Court of Session turned down Road Sense’s objection to the Aberdeen by-pass, there were reports that the road would not now open until 2017 – five years later than the government promised. Now we hear that Road Sense is intent on piling on the misery by lodging an appeal.
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Read More...Six weeks to save Grampian Police
26/07/11 09:45 Filed in: Granite Chips
The Scottish Government seems to be determined to dismantle Grampian Police and the seven other police authorities in Scotland. In their place would be one national police force, no doubt headquartered in Glasgow, or Edinburgh.
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Read More...Employment update for Aberdeen City and Shire
12/07/11 16:05 Filed in: news
These are the latest figures on employment in the City of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, showing the employment trends and industry types. Read More...
Government's hollow infrastructure promises
01/07/11 09:12 Filed in: Granite Chips
North-east Scotland MSP Nanette Milne has voiced the feeling of disappointment that many of us have about the infrastructure promises by the Scottish Government. As the SNP begin their second term, with a considerable majority, lets hope that they start to deliver some of the urgent infrastructure improvements in Aberdeen City and Shire.
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Read More...Free summer events for Aberdeen teens
30/06/11 16:36 Filed in: news
Union Square is tackling the age old ‘nothing to do in the summer holidays’ problem with the launch of the ultimate free events programme for Aberdeen teenagers. Read More...
Time for co-ordinated approach?
24/06/11 09:19 Filed in: Granite Chips
The press recently has been full of all the action plans for improving Aberdeen city centre. While (as long as any development is appropriate and respectful of the city’s traditions) this is welcome, there seems to be a real danger of confusion with all the different initiatives.
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Read More...Action on city centre? Or just another mountain of paper?
14/06/11 12:21 Filed in: Granite Chips
Ask visitors to Aberdeen what they think of the city centre and many will be complimentary – especially if their visit has been graced by sunshine that makes the granite sparkle, rather than matching the grey of the skies on a bad day.
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Read More...Haudagain delay extends Aberdeen roads problem
13/06/11 11:30 Filed in: Granite Chips
Councillor Kate Dean’s statement that work on Britain’s newly-crowned worst roundabout – the Haudagain at the junction of the A96 and A90 trunk roads – cannot begin until the Aberdeen by-pass is completed, underlines the fragile nature of Aberdeen’s roads infrastructure
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Read More...Retexturing reduces accidents
19/05/11 20:28 Filed in: Granite Chips
The news that ‘retexturing’ of accidents black spots in Aberdeenshire has reduced accidents by 100% is welcome, but not surprising. Read More...