THE council has halted plans for the second phase of the Aberdeen beach regeneration projects until it secures the necessary funds.
The initial £62 million phase of the seafront makeover is set to start next week. However, as the construction of the futuristic playpark, events field, amphitheatre, bike lanes, and improvements to Broadhill begin, there are concerns that some of the key elements of the Aberdeen beach revitalization may never materialise.
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A total of £150 million has been allocated for the refreshment of Aberdeen city centre and beach masterplan. However, senior officials believe that the actual cost of building everything on the beach wishlist, including a new boardwalk with a safe swimming area beneath it, could exceed £440 million – and this figure does not even include the plans for Union Street and its surrounding areas.
The SNP and Liberal Democrats running the council took stock of official advice and have now paused any further work “until additional resources can be identified”.
They are optimistic about the new Aberdeen beach parks on either side of the Boulevard and the “enhanced” Broadhill. However, Conservative councillor Emma Farquhar has advocated for a change in plans, suggesting that the £800,000 amphitheatre be moved down the list to be included in the current project.
She proposed that the £800,000 amphitheatre be replaced with a new Beach Leisure Centre, which would be prioritised over the less popular phase one project.
However, with construction set to begin next week and materials already ordered, Aberdeen City Council would be responsible for a “financial recourse of a few hundred thousand pounds” if the amphitheatre were to be postponed. Even if the council managed to recover the entire £800,000, building a new leisure centre would cost 100 times that amount.
The existing Beach Leisure Centre is expected to be demolished by the end of spring at a cost of £500,000.
