Key figures behind the £150million plan to transform Aberdeen city centre claim they have been the victims of “personal” attacks by backers of a rival project.
The Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (ACSEF) group is driving forward plans to raise Union Terrace Gardens to street level and create a civic square.
However, Peacock Visual Arts has expressed “huge disappointment” that its planned centre will not be one of the options contained in the two-month consultation on the future of the gardens, which has just started.
Peacock had been granted planning permission for its new centre in the gardens when oil services tycoon Sir Ian Wood promised £50million towards ACSEF’s plans.
Since then, ACSEF claims it has received a series of aggressive e-mails and letters, including one believed to call for the people behind the plans to be “hung, drawn and quartered”.
Details of the angry responses emerged last night after Peacock’s former digital co-ordinator attacked Sir Ian and ACSEF chairman Tom Smith on a social networking website.
Adam Proctor, who left the organisation last month, used his Twitter page to post a derogatory comment about the businessmen, which originally contained an obscenity, but was later amended to describe the duo as “oily barstools”.
Last night a spokeswoman for ACSEF said the organisation had been on the receiving end of “unpleasant and very personal comments” in recent weeks.
She said: “It is hugely disappointing that those involved in this type of behaviour have chosen to see this as an either or project, and do not seem to appreciate that the people of Aberdeen can have a hugely attractive and iconic civic space that caters for everyone with gardens, a contemporary arts centre and wider cultural and non-cultural activities.
“It is important that the whole region gets involved in the consultation process so that a vocal minority does not put such an amazing transformation for Aberdeen at risk.”
Last night Mr Proctor, who still does freelance work for Peacock, said his post reflected his own feelings and not those of his former employers.
He said: “I have retracted my original comment, seeing as it may be perceived as a personal attack on an individual when in fact it was an attack on the supposedly open consultation process.”
However, teenage campaigner Iain Corbett, who has set up the I Believe in Aberdeen group to support Sir Ian’s vision for the city, said the Tweet was “irresponsible”.
He added: “Peacock have lost all credibility. The comments made by Mr Proctor were extremely irresponsible and in bad taste and Peacock should issue a public apology to Tom Smith and Sir Ian Wood without delay.”
Last night Peacock declined to comment on the row, other than to confirm that Mr Proctor had left its employment.