Park project which was 'fraught with problems' reopens

The gardens, while not complete, reopened on Thursday

The regeneration of Aberdeen's historic Union Terrace Gardens could end up costing more than £30m, the council co-leader has told BBC Scotland.

Alex Nicoll said the refurbishment project had been "fraught with problems" and costs were expected to rise.

The gardens originally opened in 1879 and have been undergoing redevelopment since 2019.

Although not yet complete, they reopened on Thursday afternoon.

The main lawn will be turfed at a later stage due to the winter weather and the likelihood of frost and rain in the coming months.

The turfing of the central lawn may take place after February's Spectra light festival, elements of which will take place in the gardens.

The project was expected to be completed last year, but was put back to 2022 following delays, caused in part by the pandemic. A so-called soft opening of a section of the gardens had been scheduled for April but was cancelled.

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The council run is currently run by a joint SNP and Liberal Democrat administration; the project was passed during the previous Labour, Conservative and independent coalition.

Mr Nicoll, of the SNP, described it as a "very long journey".

He said: "A lot of the delays have been beyond the council's control, and beyond even contractor control.

"But it's good that we did actually manage to meet the Christmas deadline, albeit a little bit finer than we would have wanted."

'A lot of merit'

Speaking about the cost of redevelopment, Mr Nicoll said: "I think the figure is actually going to be closer or even north of £30m.

"I think it's a project that has a lot of merit to it, but I wouldn't have been the first person to vote to spend £30m for a park to become - a park.

"Hopefully the people of Aberdeen will actually go out and use the gardens and see a much higher footfall passing through there, and the rest of the city centre round about will benefit from that."

The council said the refurbishment had improved wheelchair access and included new amenities such as a play area for children, toilets and cafes, as well as restoring historic features.

Plans to breathe new life into the gardens first received the council's backing in 2007.

The following year, businessman Sir Ian Wood said he would contribute up to £50m towards a rival scheme to raise the gardens and develop a new street-level square.

Those plans were eventually rejected in 2012, when backing was instead given to proposals to improve the gardens.

Fresh plans for a revitalisation of the historic park were unveiled in December 2016, then given approval in 2018.

Work began on the site the following year.