A crowdfunding campaign to mount a legal challenge against Aberdeen’s controversial bus gates has successfully reached its £35,000 target, marking a significant milestone for local businesses fighting the traffic measures.
Norman Esslemont, the veteran retailer spearheading the campaign, has expressed gratitude for the overwhelming community support.
Esslemont hailed the “magnificent effort” as the bus gates legal challenge crowdfunding campaign reached its £35,000 target – and issued a rallying call to “keep the pressure up”.
Speaking on the campaign’s Crowdjustice page, he said:
“Hopefully it sends a powerful message to the Council and administrators that we are not to be ignored.”
Referring to a new ‘stretch goal’ of £49,000, he said it “was a requirement of the Crowdjustice procedure and a sensible one” as “if a case proceeds to court it can be difficult to budget. We just need to keep steadily building the war chest with your help.”
The legal challenge will be led by Alasdair Sutherland of Burness Paull, who has recently challenged the council to reveal their legal advice regarding the bus gates. “If the council is very confident in its position, then they should not have any problems explaining the advice that they have received,” Sutherland remarked.
The campaign has garnered support from numerous local businesses, including Cafe Cognito and Caber Coffee.
Rosemary Michie of Country Ways, another supporter of the initiative, commented that “many folk are no longer coming to the city centre due to the uncertainty of how to undertake a visit without being fined.”
The funds will be used to challenge Aberdeen City Council’s decision to make the bus gates permanent, a move that requires Scottish Ministers’ consent, according to the legal team. This legal action comes as the council faces mounting pressure from approximately 11,000 citizens who have opposed the current traffic measures.
