ETZ plans leave locals feeling ‘angry and disappointed’

Campaign group Friends of St Fittick’s Park has expressed its disappointment in the Energy Transition Zone’s (ETZ) updated “campus model”.

The group says its members and the Torry community have been left feeling “angry and disappointed” following the project’s latest consultation day.

The ETZ’s updated “campus model” will present businesses with an “unrivalled opportunity”, according to the not-for-profit organisation.

However, the plans entail developing one-third of St Fittick’s park, an area that has been described as Torry’s last green space.

The Friends of St Fittick’s Park say that the public space is “thriving” at the moment and the organisation “will continue fighting” the ETZ’s plans.

The area earmarked for development is said to contain “a strip of community woodland and a biodiverse wetland habitat that is home to many plants, insects and animals.”

The campaigners described the plans as “unacceptable”, adding that: “ETZ Ltd and the master planners, Ironside Farrar, appear to have ignored the voices of the community.”

© Supplied by DC Thomson

Ironside Farrar and ETZ have said they will expand and enhance the East Tullos Burn and wetland habitats, though campaigners have said they do not believe these claims.

The Friends of St Fittick’s Park wrote in a statement: “There have also been claims in the local media that our campaign has been victorious because ETZ Ltd appear to have compromised by only wanting a third of the park.

“Nothing could be further from the truth.

“The Friends of St Fittick’s Park will continue to fight for the protection of St Fittick’s Park, first this month with city councillors and early in the new year when Scottish Government Ministers consider final approval.”

ETZ plans

Revised blueprints for the major project show that two-thirds the park would remain in the hands of the community.

Due to the location of the park, the third closest to the £350 million South Harbour will still be turned into a business park.

For the last two years, campaigners have stood against the proposition to build upon the Torry park, earlier this year Climate Camp Scotland partnered with the Friends of St Fittick’s Park for a weekend of activism in the granite city.

The latest plans for the Energy Transition Zone see the south of the city will be broken down into five distinct patches.

The not-for-profit group say the “campus model” will “revitalise” industrial sites at Altens – providing firms with the “unique opportunity to invest in the largest dedicated energy transition complex in Scotland”.

© Supplied by Wullie Marr / DC Tho

In response to criticism, an ETZ spokesperson said: “We are grateful to local citizens for their continued engagement and recognise the strength of sentiment and how important accessible green public space, and biodiverse areas are for the people of Torry, particularly the walkways, wetlands and habitats at St Fittick’s Park.

“We have listened carefully to these concerns and have sought to address them by proposing that East Tullos Burn is not only be retained in its entirety but expanded by 200 metres with a commitment to invest in wetlands boardwalk and a new filtration pond established to improve water quality and biodiversity. There has also been a clear focus on minimising the loss of land at St Fittick’s Park and, through the masterplan, we have identified utilising just over a half of the identified development sites equating to a less than a third of the park overall.

“Whilst we fully appreciate concerns about utilising any of the land at St Fittick’s, the ability to connect land with port assets, and transport large components to and from quayside, is a fundamental requirement so we achieve the investment required to ensure Aberdeen is positioned to capitalise on the vast opportunities provided by new and green energies, creating and securing sustainable jobs for the long-term.

“Beyond this our clear focus is on exploring the opportunities to be developed, including an extensive and improved green and biodiverse space, leisure activities and network links, in and around St Fitticks Park and the wider masterplan area to ensure no net-loss of environmental capacity.”

‘Complete twaddle’

Lesley Anne Mullholland, a Friends of the St Fittick’s Park campaigner said: “The community would have raised a collective eyebrow reading the claims the park has been saved and victory declared for Torry residents. This is complete twaddle!

“The big greenwash machine was obviously set on full spin cycle for ETZ Ltd and the master planners Ironside Farrar.

“The third of the park that they want to destroy for some notion they will be saving the planet as well as Aberdeen’s economy is a delusional fairy tale.

“The part of the park they want is a thriving wetland and woodland habitat that the community itself raised money for and planted the trees.

“The promise of jobs, community benefits and working with us are hollow words. We have heard it all before.

“The community is unanimous that no part of the existing park should be lost to industrialisation and destroyed to feed the great white elephant that is the south harbour.

“We will continue fighting to protect our cherished greenspace”.

Campaigner, Ishbel Shand, added: “One of the most concerning features of this whole sorry episode is the very large sums of public money being thrown at this project.

“The business plan appears to be based on nothing more substantial than wishful thinking and hubris.

“Ironside Farrar got £250,000. The Westminster Government gave £27m, the Scottish Government £26m. ETZ ltd got an additional £14.7m from the “Just Transition Fund”.

“Either this is a fine example of irony, or the Scottish Government thinks Orwell’s 1984 was an instruction manual. I’d like to see a breakdown of who is profiting from our money.”