There are “no plans” for fresh physical distancing road changes in Aberdeen – despite the risk of the Omicron strain of coronavirus.
Residents, traders and motorists faced huge upheaval on the streets of the Granite City as the council worked to create more room for safety reasons.
It included temporary closures and one-way systems around George Street and Rosemount, as well as road narrowing in Torry.
When first brought in, NHS public health specialists advised it was necessary to stem the spread of Covid.
It comes as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged people to spend more time at home and limit social interactions, with Omicron cases rising sharply.
The government is pushing for shops to monitor the number of people coming in and out of premises, reintroduce one-way systems and distancing markers, and take steps to reduce potential crowding such as in queues.
One-way systems and table service have also been brought back to pubs, cafes and restaurants – while the first minister urged people to reconsider plans for festive patronage only a day before one of the busiest trading nights of the year, Mad Friday.
Despite Omicron, Aberdeen ‘has moved on’ from Spaces For People-type closures
The £1.76 million Spaces For People project, funded by a Scottish Government grant, also brought about some more long-lasting change in the city centre.
The public cash spent on Spaces For People, dished out for Holyrood by sustainable transport charity Sustrans, could also be viewed as having been spent on something of a test run for council plans to encourage walking and cycling.
But asked whether the threat of Omicron would mean the undoing of the Spaces For People changes, the Labour-led administration’s transport spokeswoman told us the city “has moved on”.
Councillor Sandra Macdonald said: “I think Spaces For People was the right thing to do when we did it, frankly, with the unknowns at that time.
“But I think there are no plans to bring in again the same measures as we had before, we have learned from them.
“Things are different now to how they were before in the pandemic – particularly, I have to say, with working from home.
“There are still issues around public transport but there are no plans at present to bring in the same measures as we did last year.”
Aberdeen’s main street remains changed by Spaces For People project
Measures in Aberdeen’s West End, Rosemount, George Street and Torry have all been removed in the last year, and the closure of Schoolhill and Upperkirkgate has been revised slightly to make way for the Christmas Village.
Ill-fated cycle lanes the length of the Beach Esplanade lasted mere weeks as they “weren’t merited”, according to council leaders.
And while wooden decking up and down the Union Street bus lanes has been removed, the city’s main thoroughfare remains closed between Market Street and Bridge Street.
It looks as though this closure, along with others around Belmont Street and surrounding lanes, will remain until permanent plans for a £150m city centre refresh come to fruition.
That work includes a new £50m food and drink market on the former BHS site and a revamp of the beach, including a potential joint venture stadium to replace Aberdeen FC’s Pittodrie.
Aberdeen pharmacists have dealt with ’20 injuries this year’ caused by Spaces For People