Residents of a city community have spoken of their anger and fears over the uncertain future of one of the area’s few green spaces.
St Fittick’s Park has been a popular spot for local residents living in lockdown, with its woodlands, wetlands and wildlife offering respite.
“My wife and I go there with our son and daughter,” said David Knight, who lives on nearby Girdleness Road.
“We’ve been doing it a lot more recently – because of lockdown, we’re limited in what else we’re able to do.”
However, since the start of March, the future of the green space has been under threat.
The site of the proposed energy transition zone (ETZ), as outlined in Aberdeen City Council’s latest Local Development Plan, overlaps significantly with St Fittick’s Park.
“There isn’t a lot of green space in Torry,” said David.
“You could go to Tullos Hill, but that’s not very accessible for people who would struggle. The community park has got the nice paths, so people who struggle for access would still be able to enjoy being surrounded by the wetlands and enjoy the green space.”
The anger over the loss of the park has been building in recent days, with a new Facebook group opposing the development gaining over 200 members in less than two hours and a petition calling on the council to reconsider the location of the ETZ being signed by over 700 people.
Some residents also object to the site of a planned multi-million-pound waste incinerator for the area.
The £150 million plant will take 150,000 tonnes of waste every year from 2022, gathered from across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray, with project bosses claiming it will create low-cost heat and power.
Preparatory work started on the site close to Tullos Primary School in East Tullos Industrial Estate in October, however, locals have raised pollution concerns.
Both the page and the petition were created by Renee Slater, a former Torry youth project worker and resource worker for adult learning.
Renee, 71, said: “My feeling is that they’re just trying to make Torry a big industrial estate.
“I’m concerned about the taking away of open space. They’ve now got the new harbour, which is having its problems, then we have the incinerator, which is next to a school and the people who live nearby.
“What they’re doing to the park is making the whole thing worse, and people have come to the end of their tether and they want something done about it.”
David, 39, who recently completed his four-year undergraduate degree in environmental science and plans to start a PhD looking at bioenergy, carbon capture and storage in October, agrees.
He said: “It is good that there is this movement towards renewables, but it seems that everything is going on where we are.
“It just seems like everything’s encroaching on the area, and we’re just losing every last bit that we’ve got for us to enjoy.”
Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn said: “An energy transition zone is absolutely crucial to Aberdeen’s future, particularly given the ongoing crisis in the oil and gas sector.
“My former council colleagues tried to persuade the administration to opt for a different site but the Tory and Labour coalition made a decision to stick with the green space, and I recognise how bitterly disappointing that will be for local residents.”
Councillor Yvonne Allan, who represents Torry, said: “People are getting letters in the consultation period, and there is a form attached to that letter that allows them to comment.
“It’s important that the local folk say how they’re feeling about it.”
She added: “There will be green space that will be left – not all of it, I accept that, but there are parts that won’t be included.
“The new skateboard park and the kids’ playpark, these bits will remain, and there’s quite a lot of grass around that bit.”
Council co-leader Douglas Lumsden said: “This was put forward as part of the Local Development Plan because any Energy Transition Zone would need to be near the new harbour.
“But just because it’s part of the Local Development Plan, it doesn’t mean it will happen. It needs to go through the planning process, and the consultation is going through on the LDP just now.”
The consultation for Aberdeen City Council’s proposed Local Development Plan can be found here
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