The local authority has been accused of treating Cove like a “sink estate” after councillors backed controversial plans to create a travellers halting site in the area.
The scheme for a stopover at Loirston for up to six caravans was approved despite more than 25 letters of objection from local residents and businesses.
Concerns were raised by high-profile city firms and organisations including John Clark Motor Group and Aberdeen Football Club, as well as the community councils at Nigg and Cove and Altens.
The site will be the first of its type in the city, after three were designated in 2012 local plan, including ones at Bridge of Don and Newhills.
Residents criticised the plan from the outset – citing worries about the site’s proximity to the proposed new academy, the possibility of the construction of new stadia for the Dons and Highland Leaguer Cove Rangers and its location next to a planned new 1,067-home estate, which will include a primary school.
Proposals for the new travellers site, the houses and a hydrogen fuelling station in the “overdeveloped” area were all approved yesterday by the city council’s planning development management committee.
Hermiston Securities Limited was named as the developer for the housing and traveller sites.
The new £30million academy to replace the current Kincorth and Torry schools will be sited at Calder Park.
Kincorth-Nigg-Cove Independent councillor Andrew Finlayson last night accused the council’s Labour-led administration of treating the area as a “dumping ground” for projects other communities did not want.
He said: “Residents are sick and tired of Cove being used as a dumping ground – it’s being treated like a private sink estate.
“Anything that the rest of the city doesn’t want is sited in Cove.
“It’s time that the council stopped acting like a big bully and keep adding more and more to the already overdeveloped area.
“I have real concerns that this traveller site will lead to conflict between kids at the school and travellers.
“The council already rejected a site at Howes Road because of its proximity to the school but it seems like the poor people of Cove get landed with it.
“This has been going on for years and years. Cove used to be a village but now there is development everywhere.”
Another passionate supporter of rejection was Hazlehead-Ashley-Queen’s Cross councillor Jennifer Stewart.
She claimed she had seen travellers intimidating pupils at Hazlehead Academy when they were camped there in 2013 and feared the same would happen with the new school.
Last night, Anne McPartlin chairwoman of Cove and Altens Community Council, said: “We are extremely disappointed by the decision.
“There was a site proposed in Heathryfold that was rejected because it was close to a school but it seems like it’s ok to happen in Cove.”
Other councillors at the meeting rejected the criticism of the traveller site, saying that its close proximity to the planned school would actually be an advantage.
Torry-Ferryhill councillor Graham Dickson said: “We have a national duty to educate traveller children.
“We should be trying to bring communities together and not divide them.”
Mr Finlayson’s comments were also criticised last night by ward colleague Neil Cooney, who dismissed them as “blinkered”.
He said: “We’ve fought very hard to ensure that the area isn’t a dumping ground and it’s quite disappointing to hear these comments made.
“We have to grow as a city and the fringes of the city are where there is space to grow.
“In Dyce or Bridge of Don here is a lot of development planned so I think it’s quite a blinkered view to say Cove is particularly targeted.”
Aberdeen FC declined to comment last night.
John Clark Motor Group did not respond to a request for comment.