Aberdeen’s most senior city officials have been told to apologise for the “mess” of the much-protested library and swimming pool closures – or quit.
Chief executive Angela Scott and her top brass are facing backlash, after the council blinked first in the row over the budget cuts.
On their advice, councillors voted in March to close libraries in Cornhill, Cults, Ferryhill, Garthdee, Northfield and Woodside.
As part of drastic measures taken to save £47 million to balance the books, they also slashed Sport Aberdeen’s funding.
It resulted in the shock closure of Bucksburn pool, as well as the imminent demolition of the Beach Leisure Centre.
Damaging court battle avoided but now chief exec Angela Scott and top brass face call to apologise
Community campaigners were prepared to contest the shutdowns in court, instructing solicitors to take the local authority to the Court of Session.
But protestors have claimed victory, with council bosses accepting the need for a full, formal consultation on the impact of the closing the libraries and Bucksburn pool.
Now, the Aberdeen Trades Union Congress is calling for further reparation.
President Graeme Farquhar has called for councillors to demand an apology from Ms Scott and her senior officers.
If none is forthcoming, he thinks the chief executive should quit her £170,000-a-year role – as well as her directors.
Mr Farquhar said: “The Aberdeen councillors voted through cuts and closures based on advice and guidance from the council’s chief executive and senior officers.
“They must now hold them to account for this failure to properly and meaningfully consult with the citizens of Aberdeen.
“The chief executive and the senior officers must now apologise for this failure and couple it with an assurance that this shameful contempt for the citizens of Aberdeen never happens again.
“If those responsible for this mess refuse to do this then councillors should demand that they resign.”
Aberdeen pool and library closure row to roll on until December
A report, reflecting the input from the hastily arranged public consultation, is expected to be put to councillors in December.
It will come eight months after books were packed up and mothballs rolled out at the six locked up libraries.
However, only the authority’s chief executive is directly accountable to councillors.
As head of the paid service, Ms Scott is ultimately responsible for staffing and output from the directorates beneath her.
Town House insiders have in the background questioned the effectiveness of the “absent”, “anonymous” Ms Scott, who “you never see”.
It is well documented that the chief executive lives in Dundee, racking up thousands in hotel bills for stays in the city when she first took the top job.
“How the hell did we get here?” one source lamented.
The council communications team declined to comment on Mr Farquhar’s scolding statement.
“As normal, we wouldn’t comment on staffing matters,” a spokeswoman told The Press and Journal.
Anger as councillors learn about library and pool U-turn ‘through Elon Musk’
Council co-leaders Christian Allard, of the SNP, and Lib Dem Ian Yuill also declined to comment given the campaign may yet end up in court.
Labour and the Conservatives would not be drawn on resignation calls either – but are demanding immediate accountability of senior figures.
Officials draw up hundreds of budget options ahead of councillors approving a combination to balance the books.
Aberdeen Labour leader M Tauqeer Malik said he was “angry the SNP and Lib Dem administration put forward an illegal budget”.
He added: “We are delighted to hear they have capitulated and agreed to carry out a full transparent review into saving the six libraries and the pool at Bucksburn.
“However, we are angry to learn this news via Elon Musk and his social media site.
“The chief executive owes all 45 councillors an explanation and should do so at the very next full council meeting on September 11.”
Tory group leader Ryan Houghton agreed it was “unacceptable” that he learned about the U-turn on rebranded social media site, X.
And he backed calls for Ms Scott to report on the justification for the council’s course of action.
