I am writing this open letter to all city councillors to express my concern regarding the proposed development of St Fittick’s Park.
In recent years in the name of development, Torry has lost the Victoria Road field to the Marine Centre, lost the Bay Of Nigg beach area to the Aberdeen Harbour Expansion Project (AHEP) and gained an incinerator. We also have the waste disposal plant.
These developments were accepted as essential and the community sacrificed green space.
But only one of these developments has been completed and the another is in a state of disrepair which has led to the temporary loss to the community of the coastal road. Who knows when access will be returned?
I am sure you will understand my surprise when I found out the council planned to develop on the lands around St Fittick’s Park for an industrial area to support AHEP, which has been so disastrously implemented to date.
The proposed area of development will steal a beautiful green area from around people’s homes and a well-loved area locally known as the triangle where many generations of teenagers have gone to play football.
St Fittick’s Park has a very diverse wildlife and flora environment that adults and children take pride in and see it as an important green space within their community.
We have a city with ever increasing empty commercial lots, especially in the nearby Altens Industrial Estate, which is a more proper location for this site.
The burden of transport should be placed on those using the harbour, not a burden upon the community.
Can you justify why community green space is being developed for industry when we need a clean environment, especially for low-income communities?
Torry has been used as a dumping ground for industrial development for too long. It is time to use alternative brown-field sites for further industry.
We demand that you leave our beautiful green space alone.
I’m sure if it were happening in your area you’d fight it.
Hands off our green spaces in Torry.
Renée Slater, Torry
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