Alex Salmond has made a last-ditch appeal to council bosses in Aberdeen to get off their “high horse” and find a way to use a £50million donation to transform the city centre.
The first minister said it would be a “great tragedy” for the north-east if Sir Ian Wood’s pledge was rejected and that the public would be “dumbfounded”.
The Aberdeenshire East MSP made the comments on the eve of a full council meeting today, when the Labour-led administration is expected to turn down the offer.
Meanwhile, efforts to foster better relations with the private sector suffered a setback yesterday when local businessman Tom Smith resigned from a newly-formed city centre regeneration board in protest at the council position.
Mr Salmond said rejecting the Wood Family Trust cash was “irrational and defied democratic logic” given the majority of citizens backed plans to revamp Union Terrace Gardens in a referendum last year.
He also suggested a public campaign might make the local authority think twice.
Mr Salmond said: “I think this is a tragedy for Aberdeen since the benefit would have been for the whole of the north-east who want to see a vibrant and wonderful city centre.
“I cannot believe that any council in the world that I know of would have snubbed an offer of such generosity, particularly when there was a majority vote in favour in a referendum.
“So it is not only irrational, it defies democratic logic.
“But not to find a way to come to terms and to take that generous donation seems to me a great tragedy for the citizens of Aberdeen.
“I would appeal at the last minute to the council to get off its high horse and recognise just how dumbfounded people will be if the end result is this money is not accessed – there should and must be a way forward.”
Sir Ian has expressed his “sincere regret” that there seemed to be no hope of the current coalition backing a “transformative” scheme – five years after the cash was first put on the table.
It is understood that the money will now be diverted to the trust’s charitable projects in Africa.
Mr Salmond said the offer, particularly in tough economic times for public spending, was a once in a generation opportunity.
“I know quite a bit about this and Sir Ian was not dogmatic in terms of what he wanted to see done, he just wanted to see a realistic transformational project so it is a great pity,” added the SNP leader.
Mr Salmond noted that the Labour-Conservative-Independent coalition backed down on plans to close schools in the city due to a public campaign led by parents.
“If citizen power can be successful in changing the council’s mind, then perhaps it can be successful on changing the council’s mind on the city centre,” he added.
North-east Conservative MSP Nanette Milne said she was “hugely disappointed and very sad” that plans to regenerate the city centre would not be progressing with the support of Sir Ian.
“Like him, I love my city and continue to believe that the redevelopment of Union Terrace Gardens is essential to move it forward in the next decade,” she added.