“There is however always a danger when one individual claims to speak for others."
Sir Ian Wood 12th February 2010
Despite Frank Doran's reasoning for the public debate into the future of Union Terrace Gardens as a way to counter a situation which "seemed to be turning into a debate by press release." ACSEF's PR at The Big Partnership have been back at it this week churning out more press releases in defense of the much maligned City Square Project proposal. Obviously Sir Ian Wood's beliefs that the meeting didn't "move the debate ahead" has meant there is no need to change the course of the PR onslaught.
First on the agenda was an attempt to spin something positive out of last Thursday's public debate, the Evening Express honed in on a throwaway comment by Tom Smith, that "The City Square would be like the Dons Signing Ronaldo." Now, not that I know anything about football, but I'm sure that if Aberdeen FC was to sign Ronaldo, that would mean that it's budgets would be so stretched it would have to cut other players or be forced to employ cheaper ones, and wouldn't the investment in Mr Ronaldo be a bit of a waste if it has a knock on effects on the rest of the team? Not only that but it implies a direct relationship between cost and quality and that money is the only benchmark by which a City is measured.
Continuing the Footballing theme, Evening Express broke the "story" confirming support for the City Square Project from none other than Football legend, Sir Alex Ferguson saying "The Manchester United manager and former Aberdeen FC boss said the new heart could put the city in the “premier” league." Littering the article with half-baked football puns such as how the City Square would allow Aberdeen to "enter the premiership of European cities,” there is a significant failure to quantify what Sir Alex's statement actually brings to the debate other than to simply reiterate the ACSEF's tired rhetoric. Tom Smith is quick to pipe up in support of the statement saying "Sir Alex knows what it takes to win and Aberdeen City and Shire’s future depends on the prize that can be won by radically transforming our city centre", yes Alex Ferguson does know what it takes to win a game of football, or a trophy or a league, but he isn't exactly versed on the ins and outs of Architecture, of Civic or Urban Design. But of course, the opinions of those who are experts in Urban Realm Planning, Architecture or Civic design do not count to those in ACSEF.
The reaction to Sir Alex's announcement, which was pushed in the press through a release from ACSEF, highlights the side-switching double standards of the Economic Forum, who two weeks before had blasted Annie Lennox for speaking out in favour of saving Union Terrace Gardens saying "Ms Lennox’s near 40-year absence from the city made her views somewhat irrelevant" punctuating this with a comparison to Sir Ian who "is an Aberdonian who lives here." How these statements still stand with Fergie's support when he was born in Govan and has lived and worked in Manchester since 1986. However Sir Alex did in fact helm Aberdeen FC between 1978 and 1986 and was granted Freedom of the City in 1999 this gives him as much say as anyone else with an interest in the future of Aberdeen, including Aberdeen-born Lennox. Shame ACSEF do not believe this, with Wood quick to "hit out" at Lennox as her views were not to his liking, even though her opinion had seemed important enough to include her image in the booklet advertising the project. Of course that is before they knew what her opinions are.
On Wednesday ACSEF played it's supposed trump card, continuing the debate by press release, the Press and Journal led with the pre-emptively triumphiant "Now 5000 firms Unite behind Sir Ian's vision" stating that "Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Oil and Gas UK and the CBI declared their support for proposals to raise Union Terrace Gardens to street level." The article outlines what appears to be resounding support for the City Square from the Aberdeen Business community with Bob Collier, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce stating "We believe this project is as important to the economic success of this region as the AWPR and Trump International Golf Links" and Andy Willox, Scotland's Policy Convener for the Federation of Small Businesses claiming "This project is one of the most vital for our region." The statement was pride of place among the Press and Journal's pro-square voice and also made it to the BBC's online section, until it was taken down when it turned out the "5,000 firms unite behind Sir Ian's Vision" statement turned out to be not entirely true.
The comments on the online article on the Press and Journal article were the first indication of
unrest from members of the organisations cited, interestingly enough Peacock Visual Arts is a member of both the FSB and Chamber of Commerce. The following day, the Press and Journal reported that "Angry bosses have said they will quit the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) because they weren’t consulted before the organisation gave its public backing to Sir Ian Wood’s city square scheme in Aberdeen." This appeared to not just be the case for the FSB, but all four of the organisations who had put their apparent backing behind Sir Ian's City Square. Oil and Gas UK, which represents 104 businesses, with 63 of those in Aberdeen, represents both Sir Ian's Wood Group plc and the Balmoral Group, which has been vocal in it's opposition to the City Square with it's chairman, Jim Milne, having released a statement saying "many individuals, especially within the business sector, that feel pressurised into supporting the ACSEF project."
Falling under the heaviest criticism, including calls for his resignation from the comments page of the Press and Journal is Andy Willox from the Federation of Small Businesses, who admitted that "members had not been polled but insisted he spoke for the majority of firms in Aberdeen."
First on the agenda was an attempt to spin something positive out of last Thursday's public debate, the Evening Express honed in on a throwaway comment by Tom Smith, that "The City Square would be like the Dons Signing Ronaldo." Now, not that I know anything about football, but I'm sure that if Aberdeen FC was to sign Ronaldo, that would mean that it's budgets would be so stretched it would have to cut other players or be forced to employ cheaper ones, and wouldn't the investment in Mr Ronaldo be a bit of a waste if it has a knock on effects on the rest of the team? Not only that but it implies a direct relationship between cost and quality and that money is the only benchmark by which a City is measured.Continuing the Footballing theme, Evening Express broke the "story" confirming support for the City Square Project from none other than Football legend, Sir Alex Ferguson saying "The Manchester United manager and former Aberdeen FC boss said the new heart could put the city in the “premier” league." Littering the article with half-baked football puns such as how the City Square would allow Aberdeen to "enter the premiership of European cities,” there is a significant failure to quantify what Sir Alex's statement actually brings to the debate other than to simply reiterate the ACSEF's tired rhetoric. Tom Smith is quick to pipe up in support of the statement saying "Sir Alex knows what it takes to win and Aberdeen City and Shire’s future depends on the prize that can be won by radically transforming our city centre", yes Alex Ferguson does know what it takes to win a game of football, or a trophy or a league, but he isn't exactly versed on the ins and outs of Architecture, of Civic or Urban Design. But of course, the opinions of those who are experts in Urban Realm Planning, Architecture or Civic design do not count to those in ACSEF.
The reaction to Sir Alex's announcement, which was pushed in the press through a release from ACSEF, highlights the side-switching double standards of the Economic Forum, who two weeks before had blasted Annie Lennox for speaking out in favour of saving Union Terrace Gardens saying "Ms Lennox’s near 40-year absence from the city made her views somewhat irrelevant" punctuating this with a comparison to Sir Ian who "is an Aberdonian who lives here." How these statements still stand with Fergie's support when he was born in Govan and has lived and worked in Manchester since 1986. However Sir Alex did in fact helm Aberdeen FC between 1978 and 1986 and was granted Freedom of the City in 1999 this gives him as much say as anyone else with an interest in the future of Aberdeen, including Aberdeen-born Lennox. Shame ACSEF do not believe this, with Wood quick to "hit out" at Lennox as her views were not to his liking, even though her opinion had seemed important enough to include her image in the booklet advertising the project. Of course that is before they knew what her opinions are.
On Wednesday ACSEF played it's supposed trump card, continuing the debate by press release, the Press and Journal led with the pre-emptively triumphiant "Now 5000 firms Unite behind Sir Ian's vision" stating that "Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Oil and Gas UK and the CBI declared their support for proposals to raise Union Terrace Gardens to street level." The article outlines what appears to be resounding support for the City Square from the Aberdeen Business community with Bob Collier, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce stating "We believe this project is as important to the economic success of this region as the AWPR and Trump International Golf Links" and Andy Willox, Scotland's Policy Convener for the Federation of Small Businesses claiming "This project is one of the most vital for our region." The statement was pride of place among the Press and Journal's pro-square voice and also made it to the BBC's online section, until it was taken down when it turned out the "5,000 firms unite behind Sir Ian's Vision" statement turned out to be not entirely true.
The comments on the online article on the Press and Journal article were the first indication of
going on to say "I have been speaking a lot about this issue to people in the federation ... and at times we have to take a stand on behalf of our business members in general." This stance may be forgivable were it not for the fact that Mr Willox is also a board member of ACSEF, and it would appear that he is using is influence on one organisation to sway the outcome of a project being championed by another. Without balloting members of the FSB, Willox could be seen as misrepresenting his members in order to further a vested interest.
FSB have yet to ballot their members or indeed inform them officially of this stance, at least the Chamber of Commerce, also represented on the ACSEF board by the Aberdeen and Grampian President, Colin Crosby sent out an email to their members informing them of their position. Albiet the statement was sent out the same day as the original article appeared in the press and stated "We recognise that some members will have a different view, and urge you to also express your opinion" yet only after "we would urge you to express your view in support of the City Square Project, which your Chamber endorses." The email also included a reworking of the Chamber of Commerce header which now includes an image of the City Square project.(pictured)
ACSEF's final release of the week told of three Architecture graduates from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture who have produced eight new possible images of the City Square. While the ingenuity and vision of young professionals is not to be sullied, the three graduates seem to have only been given Sir Ian's personal perameters to work with and not the Haliday Fraser Munro technical appraisal or indeed Aberdeen City Council stipulations on the site.
All eight of the designs feature permanent structures through the middle of the space, although conditions set out by Network Rail in the stakeholder consultations of the technical appraisal state that they must "ensure the new structure is designed for sensible dismantling. They discussed that due to the changing economic and commercial climate there may be need during the structures life time for it to be dismantled." (page 156) Many of the drawings feature significant building above street level, which is against Aberdeen City Council's criteria for retaining the view of His Majesty's Theatre, and St Mark's Church from Union Street, and none of the eight drawings take into consideration Sir Ian's remarks that "Acsef and I have repeatedly stated that this will not be a flat, concrete square" as each and every image omits any level changes required to accommodate the level and a half difference between Union Terrace and Belmont Street.
Amid all this publicity there still has been no demonstrable evidence of how the creation of the Square is "essential to safeguard the future prosperity of the city", even though this has been a major question posed to ACSEF and Sir Ian. As we enter into the final week of Consultation, with representatives from ACSEF, Sir Ian, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Youth Council receiving frequent reports from consultation body Weber-Shandwick as to how the process is progressing, time will only tell what fantastical promises await before the consultation closes this Friday 5th March.
If you have yet to do so, please register your opinion to the consultation:
Website: www.thecitysquareproject.com
Freephone: 0800 111 4881
Text: Sending your thoughts by texting 60777 followed by the word ‘square’
Email
consultation@thecitysquareproject.co.uk
And if you do not agree with Sir Ian's vision and wish to support the I Heart UTG campaign please, if you have not already done so, sign our petition and pass it on, join our Facebook or email us at iheartutg@gmail.com.
FSB have yet to ballot their members or indeed inform them officially of this stance, at least the Chamber of Commerce, also represented on the ACSEF board by the Aberdeen and Grampian President, Colin Crosby sent out an email to their members informing them of their position. Albiet the statement was sent out the same day as the original article appeared in the press and stated "We recognise that some members will have a different view, and urge you to also express your opinion" yet only after "we would urge you to express your view in support of the City Square Project, which your Chamber endorses." The email also included a reworking of the Chamber of Commerce header which now includes an image of the City Square project.(pictured)
ACSEF's final release of the week told of three Architecture graduates from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture who have produced eight new possible images of the City Square. While the ingenuity and vision of young professionals is not to be sullied, the three graduates seem to have only been given Sir Ian's personal perameters to work with and not the Haliday Fraser Munro technical appraisal or indeed Aberdeen City Council stipulations on the site.
All eight of the designs feature permanent structures through the middle of the space, although conditions set out by Network Rail in the stakeholder consultations of the technical appraisal state that they must "ensure the new structure is designed for sensible dismantling. They discussed that due to the changing economic and commercial climate there may be need during the structures life time for it to be dismantled." (page 156) Many of the drawings feature significant building above street level, which is against Aberdeen City Council's criteria for retaining the view of His Majesty's Theatre, and St Mark's Church from Union Street, and none of the eight drawings take into consideration Sir Ian's remarks that "Acsef and I have repeatedly stated that this will not be a flat, concrete square" as each and every image omits any level changes required to accommodate the level and a half difference between Union Terrace and Belmont Street.Amid all this publicity there still has been no demonstrable evidence of how the creation of the Square is "essential to safeguard the future prosperity of the city", even though this has been a major question posed to ACSEF and Sir Ian. As we enter into the final week of Consultation, with representatives from ACSEF, Sir Ian, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Youth Council receiving frequent reports from consultation body Weber-Shandwick as to how the process is progressing, time will only tell what fantastical promises await before the consultation closes this Friday 5th March.
If you have yet to do so, please register your opinion to the consultation:
Website: www.thecitysquareproject.com
Freephone: 0800 111 4881
Text: Sending your thoughts by texting 60777 followed by the word ‘square’
consultation@thecitysquareproject.co.uk
And if you do not agree with Sir Ian's vision and wish to support the I Heart UTG campaign please, if you have not already done so, sign our petition and pass it on, join our Facebook or email us at iheartutg@gmail.com.
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