Members Urged To Have Say On City Square Project

A major public consultation to ask people for their views on plans to create a new civic space by redeveloping Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens and Denburn Valley has now been launched.

Over a period of eight weeks ACSEF (Aberdeen City & Shire Economic Future) will seek to consult with as many people as possible on its City Square Project in a bid to determine the future vision of the city centre.

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce is fully supportive of ACSEF’s strategic priorities, one of which is to Deliver City Centre Development, which we believe is key to the future wellbeing and economic development of the city and the surrounding region.

We will consult with members to draw up a Chamber response to the consultation, but we also urge all individual members to take part in the consultation in order to put forward their views on the proposed project.

The consultation will run until 5 March and will ask people:

• What the five most important features of a civic space are to them

• What they would like to see in the City Square

• Do they support ACSEF’s vision to raise the level of Union Terrace Gardens and Denburn Valley

Members can get involved and have their say in a variety of ways including public exhibitions in Aberdeen’s shopping centres and in Peterhead and Inverurie. Leaflets about the project will be distributed along with a feedback form which will also be available online. A telephone hotline has been set up along with a dedicated website and text messaging service.

Feedback can also be submitted on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook or by e-mail.

Further discussions will be held with focus groups including the business sector, young people, the arts community, residents and community groups, public and charity sector organisations and council members.

Exhibitions will take place at the following venues:

• Mall Trinity, Thursday 14 January, 9am-8pm and Friday 15 January, 9am-6pm

• Union Square, Friday 29 January and Saturday 30 January, 9am-6pm

• Inverurie Town Hall, Monday 1 February 9am – 5pm

• Aberdeen University Students’ Association , The Hub, Tuesday 2 February 9am-5pm

• Robert Gordon University, Business School, Wednesday 10 February 9am-7pm

• Bon Accord Centre, Friday 12 February 9am- 5.30pm and Saturday 13 February 9am- 6pm

• Peterhead Leisure and Community Centre Saturday 27 February 9am – 5pm

There are various ways to give feedback. These include:

Website: www.thecitysquareproject.com

Freephone: 0800 111 4881

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Text: 60777 starting messages with the word ‘Square’

Twitter: @thecitysquare

Facebook: www.facebook.com/citysquareproject

Following the consultation, a full report will be prepared and made available to the public.