Warning on Aberdeen Union Street pedestrianisation plan

Aberdeen City Council's ruling administration has been warned the pedestrianisation of Union Street would only be possible with major investment.

The senior partners in the coalition - Labour - wants to ban cars between Bridge Street and Market Street.

The Castlegate could also be opened to traffic, with Broad Street shut to create a new civic square.

However the SNP group said it would cost far more than between the £6m and £10m being estimated.

Labour said the plans were worth exploring.

Bob Collier, chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, broadly welcomed the plans.

He said that, after the Union Terrace Gardens row, the council administration had work to do to bring the business community on side.

Councillors voted to scrap the plan to transform the historic Union Terrace Gardens - the £140m City Garden Project - last month.

Meanwhile, the decision to scrap the project was raised at Holyrood as MSPs returned after the summer break.

Infrastructure Secretary Alex Neil confirmed to the chamber that there was no chance of the city receiving Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) funding for any scheme that did not involve the transformation of Union Terrace Gardens.