The “crumbling” state of Aberdeen’s roads and pavements has been brought to the forefront of the council election campaign – as a second party promises a multi-million-pound spending spree bringing them up to scratch.
Leader of the city’s Liberal Democrat group, Ian Yuill, has told The P&J that their manifesto will pledge millions towards repairs and resurfacing – if they are part of the administration after May’s vote.
Aside from the “crumbling” roads, the Liberal Democrats will focus campaigning on education spending, tackling the wait for a council house and environmental concerns – as well as the regeneration of the city centre and beach.
Liberal Democrat optimism for gains in Aberdeen council election
And they are optimistic of claiming a larger share of council seats this year, after their group was reduced to three shortly after the 2017 vote.
Those three will stand again, with another 10 candidates alongside them – and there is optimism of winning at least five seats this time around.
For Mr Yuill, the encouraging signs in George Street and Harbour provide him with the chance to pay tribute to a former Liberal Democrat council leader, who died last month after a long cancer battle.
“We are particularly hopeful about George Street and Harbour, where we have an excellent candidate in Desmond Bouse, who has been working hard in the ward.
“It was represented by John Stewart until 2012, so it would be nice in his memory to retake a seat in that ward.
“And also in Bridge of Don, the retirement of John Reynolds, who previously represented the area as a Liberal Democrat until he went independent, means there are changes in the electoral mix in the ward.”
With 15 sitting councillors not standing for re-election however, he is not discounting victories elsewhere amid the flux.
Yuill: ‘Look at what they have done to Aberdeen’s roads, not what they say they will do’
Mr Yuill’s road promise is similar to one from Aberdeen Conservative leader Ryan Houghton, who last week told our readers his party would spend £39 million – £3m in each ward – to fix up the roads.
However, incumbent Airyhall, Broomhill and Garthdee councillor Mr Yuill said the spend was only needed because of a “failure” to invest by the current administration.
The Conservatives have been in control of the council, along with Aberdeen Labour, for 10 years.
He said: “Obviously we are delighted that the Conservative have seen the light.
“It seems strange that they have been in power for 10 years and have now realised – just weeks before an election – that they have failed Aberdeen on investment in roads and pavements.
“It’s something we have argued consistently for in all their years in control.
“Look at what they have done over the last 10 years, not what they say they will do.”
Liberal Democrats’ election promise to bring Aberdeen schooling ‘into the 21st Century’
The Lib Dems are also to promise significant investment in the city’s schools – including committing to building new ones to bring children’s education “into the 21st Century”.
Mr Yuill called for the local authority to be “ambitious” in bringing all of its buildings up to standard – even the oldest dating back to Edwardian times.
These older buildings could prove most difficult to modernise, posing problems in the drive to make them accessible to all pupils as they are often built over several levels.
On the environment, Mr Yuill has highlighted the need to boost biodiversity in Aberdeen – and suggested some of the local authority’s open spaces could be left to grow out as meadows.
This, along with an ambitious promise to plant a million trees, is accompanied by a consistent issue of his group – the brown bin, garden waste collection charge.
“The unjust garden tax is a tax on people recycling, and we will abolish it,” he told us.
How will the Liberal Democrats pay for their Aberdeen City Council election promises?
While these pledges are the kind you might expect in any normal local election, this year’s is different – as the Union Street question remains firmly up for debate.
The Liberal Democrats were among those to vote to reopen the Granite Mile to buses and taxis in the short term, though the longer term pedestrianisation could yet be confirmed in June.
It’s all part of a £150m refresh of the city centre and beach, which Mr Yuill says his group “has always supported”.
“But we need to be clear,” he continued. “We will judge every single project on its own merits and affordability.
“The council has to live within its means financially and we can’t keep borrowing more and more money, which is why we proposed reducing the masterplan budget from £150m down to £100m last month.”
You can find a full list of candidates standing in the Aberdeen City Council here.
