Councillors hear progress report on various Aberdeen projects

The council’s Finance and Resources Committee yesterday agreed to updates on the current CCBMP projects, including the new market building, Union Street Central, and the new beach park. The projects are designed to create vibrant and accessible areas to help make the city a destination of choice for the benefit of residents, visitors, and businesses.

Committee convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “These projects represent a huge transformation of our city centre and beachfront to ensure Aberdeen remains a place people want to live, work, raise a family or do business.

“The works at the beachfront are creating a real sense of excitement - and I very much look forward to seeing it finished later this year.”

Council co-leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “Like everyone else, I want to see the work on these projects completed as soon as possible. The contractors are working hard to achieve that.”

Castlegate improvements

Elsewhere, improvements to the Castlegate aim to re-establish the area as a central civic location, providing a high-quality space creating a destination and encouraging sustainable economic activity while providing an important gateway to the beach. Site activity started in March and works include diverting or accommodating utilities.

The report to committee said despite steps taken to mitigate the risks during the pre-construction design and procurement phase, the utility works continue to pose significant risk to the programme.

With the exception of BT Openreach, all of the known utility providers have provided quotations and programmes for their works which have been accepted and co-ordinated with the master construction programme which will help manage risks. BT Openreach has so far been unable to commit to a start date and programme of work.

For the new market building, the report said the completion of the base build is programmed for spring 2027 with further fit-out works expected to be complete in summer 2027 with further operator-led installations likely to achieve an opening in early autumn 2027.

Works are progressing on programme with statutory approvals in place for the base build works.

The report to committee said for the Union Street Central streetscape project, which will provide enhanced public realm from Union Terrace to Market Street, there has been additional work required to deal with the removal of undocumented and redundant utilities and the complex vaulted structures since work on the site started.

Given current measures taken to mitigate issues and delay, current programme estimates indicate completion in late summer 2026. There are a number of risks still present within the planned works, which if realised, may extend the works into early autumn 2026.

For the beach park, the report said it will provide a significantly sized outdoor destination within the unique beachfront context. The core play park is part of the wider landscape masterplan and importantly facilitates connections back to the city centre.

It will also have the events park of 2.5 hectares which is intended as a flexible space capable of holding events including festivals, larger concerts, and gatherings. The events park will have the capacity to host 11,000 people for outdoor events.

Works are on programme to date with above ground works now progressing across the vast majority of the site. Progress over the next three months will consider the internal fit out of all buildings, soft and hard landscaping, play equipment installation and progression of the internal fit-out of the play structure.

Improvements to community facilities and junction

Works to Bucksburn swimming pool and Inchgarth Community Centre are due to finish this summer and construction on the B999 Shielhill junction is due to start in September.

A report to committee said construction works started in July 2025 on Bucksburn Swimming Pool and they are now nearing completion with the intention that the swimming pool is operational in summer 2026.

It said the Inchgarth Community Centre extension is in response to the increase in demand for services and activities. The Council was successful in securing £1.9m from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund in June 2023.

The works started in April 2025 and are due for completion in early summer 2026.

For the improvements to the B999/Shielhill Road junction, the necessary land has compulsory purchased. The detailed design was completed in December 2025 and the environmental permit has been obtained to allow the culvert works to be undertaken.

Agreements have been put in place with the public utility companies regarding the extent of the diversionary works required.

Work has progressed to the preparation of the contract documentation for the project. It is anticipated that upon successful conclusion of the tender process, the contract will be awarded in July with work starting in September 2026.

Funds approved to demolish former police headquarters

Funds to demolish the former Grampian Police headquarters were also approved yesterday.

The demolition of the building, which was constructed in 1975, is part of a redevelopment of the Queen Street area included in the Council’s City Centre and Beach Masterplan to transform Aberdeen.

The redevelopment of Queen Street includes the creation of a new urban park at its heart which will be developed through public engagement. The former police headquarters is earmarked for a rebuild for new uses which could include residential or office use.

The £15m urban park is to be constructed including outdoor seating, informal performance spaces, a terraced garden, a sensory garden and enhanced street greening. It would also improve pedestrian and cycle movement between the city centre and the beach.

School extensions and sports pavilion near completion

Finally, construction on a school sports pavilion and two new school extensions are due to be finished in the coming months.

The committee heard updates on Harlaw Road pavilion with a completion date of summer 2026, Harlaw Academy extension with a completion date of summer 2026, and Ferryhill School extension with completion date of autumn 2026.

The report said the new Harlaw Pavillion will allow the Harlaw Road Playing Fields to be used as the main outdoor PE provision for Harlaw Academy.

The main works started onsite in November 2025 and the next milestone is completion in summer 2026.

The Harlaw Academy extension includes a new dining facility, addition PE space onsite, a building with improved flexibility, and better use of space across the whole site. It is also due to completion this summer.

The Ferryhill School improvements include a new dining facility to accommodate the growing roll, a new nursery to improvement direct access to external play areas to promote child development, external improvements to increase the usable outdoor space, improving supervision and improving safety, new PE facilities to replace the existing spaces that do not conform to current guidance standards, and improving the existing teaching block to improve accessibility and its suitability as an education space.

The next milestone is a completion date of autumn 2026.

Other updates on school buildings to the committee included:

• Planning permission has been submitted for an extension to Bucksburn Academy which would add 300 pupil places at the school;
• Construction of a new Hazlehead Academy has started and it is anticipated that new school building will be open in summer 2028 with the demolition of the existing buildings and the construction of the sports pitches to be completed by summer 2029;
• Statutory approvals are being sought for a refurbished and extended St Peters RC School and it is anticipated the school will operate from the site from autumn 2027.