Council’s leaders to face grilling

CITY council leaders have been bombarded with questions as hundreds of people were today due to take to the streets in protest at council cuts.

Aberdeen City Council holds its first meeting on Wednesday since a huge swathe of cuts and closures were put in place to fill a £27 million black hole. It is also considering closing schools across the city to save money.

More than 40 questions and motions have been tabled for leader Kate Dean, convener of resources management Kevin Stewart and chief executive Douglas Paterson.

Council spending on projects like Marischal College, the withdrawal of helps to places like Glencraft and Albyn House and plans to shut schools have also been questioned.

Homeless charity Aberdeen Cyrenians, which has lost £900,000 in council funding, and Glencraft, which employs blind and disabled people and is losing £650,000, will both make deputations before the meeting.

Groups affected by the cuts, trades union members, and city residents were today marching from Rubislaw Terrace to the Castlegate in a mass protest against the cutbacks.

Councillors including Kate Dean and Depute Provost John West were today on the march calling for fairer funding that they say has forced the council into making the savings.

Tory councillor Jim Farquarson wants the council to review the feasibility of major projects, including the £80.4 million relocation of council offices to Marischal College, plans for a 50m pool and a community football stadium.

Councillor Willie Young, of the Labour group, is calling for money from the city’s Common Good Fund to be used to reopen the Bon Accord Baths.

Tory councillor Alan Donnelly has asked the council to consider appealing for emergency funding from the Scottish Government, as well as selling off the Linx Ice Arena – which closed last week – to bring in more money to the council.

There are several questions about the Marischal College project. Labour councillors have already called for the Marischal College project to be scrapped and claimed the money could be put to better use.

Councillors put forward questions to the leaders at every full council meeting.

Cllr Dean said: “It will be a long meeting.

“We do not want to stifle questions, but there are a lot of questions here that do not need to be asked publicly.

“They are not solutions, it is just politics.

“There has not been any viable alternative offered.”

Willie Young said: “We are asking questions that need to be asked.

“These cuts are those of an accountant, anybody with compassion would not be making these kind of cuts.”

The council cuts came into effect from April 1.

Doonies Farm has also technically closed, but the public can still visit by giving a donation. Staff continue to work at the site as the animals are still there.

A report to Wednesday’s meeting suggests giving campaigners trying to save the farm 60 days to come up with a business plan.

nevans@ajl.co.uk