Aberdeen City Council’s new power-sharing partnership has produced a mega-manifesto, setting out priorities for the council over the next five years.
The near 5,000-word document is the result of nearly a fortnight of negotiating between SNP and Liberal Democrat councillors.
Together, they have agreed to joint control of the council with co-leaders.
SNP chief Alex Nicoll and Lib Dem boss Ian Yuill have taken charge of the local authority, with the SNP’s David Cameron becoming lord provost.
Mr Nicoll – whose 20 councillors are only three short of their own outright majority – will take the council leader wage of £45,669 a year.
His co-leader Mr Yuill will take home £34,254, with no uplift for his top job. His salary is tied to his role as commissioning committee convener.
Their agreement brings an end to 10 years in opposition for the two groups, who together command a two-seat majority.
Aberdeen’s SNP/Lib Dem council policy agreement
The merged manifestos, made up from SNP and Liberal Democrat pledges before the poll two weeks ago, promise investment in schools, roads, the environment, and steps to combat the soaring cost of living.
Lib Dem council co-leader Ian Yuill said: “I don’t believe – bluntly – that we made any concessions. I don’t think the SNP did either.
“Both manifestos have lots of good stuff in them. We pulled the best of those together.
“What we have ended up with is a policy statement for this council that is even better and stronger – and all 24 of us are signed up to every single commitment.”
Big SNP pledges, such as the Queen Street urban garden and £25 million spend on electric vehicle chargers, are included.
So too are Liberal Democrat promises to look at full pedestrianisation of Broad Street, road repairs, to look at building a new Bridge of Dee and plant a million trees over the next five years.
And after years of campaigning, Mr Yuill confirmed he “looks forward to abolishing the garden tax (the collection charge for residential garden waste) at next year’s election”.
Does SNP/Lib Dem policy agreement kill off city centre pedestrianisation?
The Liberal Democrats have also influenced the partnership’s stance on Union Street – as the city maps out a huge multi-million-pound regeneration project.
Plans for the central Market Street to Bridge Street stretch have been put on hold until next month.
On the Granite Mile, they have said bus and taxi access – soon to be reinstated – will be maintained until they are assured any pedestrianisation is safe and accessible for all.
They have also set out their opposition – as long as it does not break any pre-signed council contracts – to building any more shared spaces like in Broad Street, where buses roll down the otherwise pedestrianised surface.
Speaking from his home due to Covid isolation, SNP council co-leader Alex Nicoll added: “We have had quite detailed discussions and we very much put where we want to take the council at the heart of our document.
“We merged the two manifestos together and have reached agreements on how we would like to deliver for the people of Aberdeen.
“Not only for the next five years but also into the future. The council needs a long term vision.
“We have tried to reach accommodations with each other in the full spirit of the partnership we are entering into. That has involved give and take on both sides and I think that is a good thing.”
SNP/Lib Dem Aberdeen council partnership criticised for failure to mention business rates reform
But opponents picked fault with the document they were being asked to endorse by the new partnership, with no detail on how much it will all cost.
Also, specific mention of the need for business rates reform was dropped from the Liberal Democrat manifesto.
Conservative group leader Ryan Houghton raised concern at this, telling the chamber: “If you speak to any business in our city centre they will tell you the damning effect the rates regime has had.”
Mr Yuill later told The P&J that it was dropped from the section detailing campaigning for improved council funding to avoid “ending up with something longer than War And Peace”.
Their original 17-word pledge – to “campaign for the replacement or very significant reform of the unfair non-domestic rates system of business taxation – would have accounted for 0.38% of the overall document.
“Obviously reform of business rates is part of our overall package,” he said.
“We are committed to seeking reform of local government funding to benefit our city for a fair deal and also a fair deal for our businesses as well.”
Mr Yuill concluded with a promise of being “seriously up for discussion” with Labour and the Conservatives if there were manifesto policies they could find common ground on.
“Not to say we’ll agree, but we’re very happy to talk,” he said.
