Campaigners trying to save an Aberdeen park earmarked for the new Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) say they feel vindicated by their battle going to a judicial review.
The Friends of St Fittick’s Park (FoSFP) today welcomed the ruling by Lord Fairley, in the Court of Session, Edinburgh.
He accepted their petition, which focused on Aberdeen City Council’s “failure to exercise its duties under the Equality Act 2010” and an “apparent interest” of a councillor in ETZ Ltd.
Ever since the ETZ proposals emerged in 2019, campaigners have argued that the plans for destroying the park for a so-called ETZ will be devastating for the community.”
A statement from FoSFP said: “Lord Fairley… appears to agree with campaigners and many people in Torry that significant questions need to be answered regarding the legality of rezoning St Fittick’s Park for a so-called Energy Transition Zone.
“Ever since the ETZ proposals emerged in 2019, campaigners have argued that the plans for destroying the park for a so-called ETZ will be devastating for the community,
“Accordingly, campaigners feel somewhat vindicated that one of Scotland’s leading judges accepts there is a case to answer and is permitting a judicial review.
“This validates the concerns expressed by campaigners who have long argued that the development process originally hatched by (Sir) Ian Wood’s Opportunity North East (One) is tangled in a web of conflicts of interest between Aberdeen City councillors, council officers, One, Port of Aberdeen, Scottish Enterprise and ETZ Ltd, as well as the Scottish and UK governments.
“Today’s announcement will bring some respite for the local campaigners who have spent much time over the past four years fighting to expose the injustice and flaws of the plans.”
Who’s involved and what’s at stake?
The not-for-profit ETZ Ltd, established in May 2021, is behind the new industrial zone near Port of Aberdeen.
Consultation documents published last year showed about one-third of St Fittick’s Community Park is under threat.
ETZ Ltd is chaired by veteran businessman Sir Ian Wood, with representatives from the likes of Port of Aberdeen, Shell and the North Sea Transition Authority also on its board.
FoSFP campaigner and Torry resident Scott Herrett said: “When I first joined the campaign there were only a handful of members.
“But now we have hundreds of supporters in Aberdeen and throughout Scotland and the UK, as well as internationally.
“We are still far from our aim of protecting the park in its entirety, but today’s announcement means we have successfully thrown a huge spanner in the works of these reckless plans for our park.
“It’s also a validation of the campaign and shows the power of what a small number of people can collectively achieve, even if up against billionaire interests and a planning system that appears to favour the interests of rich developers over the needs of people in communities like Torry.”
FoSFP said its campaign would now focus on building and solidifying support in “Torry and beyond”, and the group’s “exciting “plans for an outside classroom – creating space for people of all ages to learn more about the plants and “abundant” wildlife in the park.
We need our natural spaces to stay healthy, so we will keep fighting to protect the park.”
Campaigner Jean Boucher said: “The Friends of Saint Fittick’s Park are happy that the court will look into the case over the park.
“We think it’s important for the city council to take care of the park and the residents of Torry.
“We need our natural spaces to stay healthy, so we will keep fighting to protect the park.
“It’s a small part of a bigger fight to protect the Earth as our global environment also faces challenges.”
Another FoSFP campaigner, Ishbel Shand, said: “The abuse of power by the powerful has happened throughout history.
“It’s always been resisted by those decent folk who’re motivated by concern for social justice, and not by monetary gain.”
ETZ has been approached for comment.
A spokeswoman for the city council said: “We are unable to comment on ongoing legal matters.”
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