The Scottish Arts Council (Sac) has accused the most senior local authority official in Aberdeen of making an “incorrect assumption” in a key report on the future of the city centre.
Councillors meet tomorrow to make what could be one of the most important civic decisions in Aberdeen’s history – whether or not to back Sir Ian Wood’s proposed £140million city square development at Union Terrace Gardens.
Aberdeen City Council chief executive Sue Bruce and her team have recommended approval of the scheme, which comes with a £50million pledge from the Sir Ian – but only on condition that it includes a new Peacock Visual Arts centre.
But Mrs Bruce was told yesterday by Sac director Iain Munro that a crucial £4.3million grant from the body towards Peacock’s rival plans for a centre in the gardens could not be transferred to the square project as part of a compromise deal, as implied in the report.
Peacock had planning permission and most of its funding in place when Sir Ian unveiled his plans. The Sac has repeatedly extended its offer to allow the two sides to try to reach a compromise, but its final funding deadline runs out next month.
In an e-mail to Mrs Bruce, Mr Munro said: “If I am interpreting your recommendations correctly, your first suggests that any consortium progressing the city square project would have access to the Scottish Arts Council’s investment.
“I’m afraid that’s incorrect.”
A spokesman for the council said officials intended to make the situation clear during tomorrow’s meeting.
Peacock last week accused the council’s officials of “completely ignoring” its position in the dispute, having previously informed Mrs Bruce’s team that it could not be part of the square project.
Meanwhile, the opposition Labour group on the council was meeting last night to decide if its 10 councillors would vote against Sir Ian’s plan for the gardens.
All other groups are believed to be split, and are expected to allow their councillors a free vote.
Peacock’s fight to keep its original plan for a £13.5million centre in the gardens received another boost yesterday.
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland revealed all 122 delegates at its annual meeting had given their support to the arts organisation’s “visionary” proposal and rejected the “technically extremely difficult” plan for a city square.
And a second city pensioner pledged £10,000 of his personal funds to help deliver Peacock’s original scheme.
Retired city art teacher Roddy Millar, 66, said he was inspired by Renee-Margaret Slater, a former council worker who revealed at the weekend she would donate £10,000 of her redundancy package to Peacock.
Mr Millar, a former Cults Academy teacher, said: “I thought that since I had been fairly strong in my views it was about time I put my money where my mouth was.
“It seems to me to be the people against big business.”
The donations follow a previous pledge from Aberdeen musician Alasdair Johnston, who gave £10,000 – an inheritance from his late mother – to the Peacock scheme following a public meeting to discuss the rival bids.
It was reported at the weekend that an anonymous businessman had pledged £5million for the city square project, on top of Sir Ian’s £50million offer.