Aberdeen park could be leased for 150 years in council vote
The new company's board will reportedly consist of officers from Aberdeen City Council and several ETZ Ltd directors.
It is understood that the council will have the option to lease the land to the new company for up to 150 years.
Part of St Fittick's Park could be turned into a renewable energy campus. Despite criticism from campaigners and opposition councillors, the decision was taken in secret over fears of prejudicing the council's negotiation processes.
A statement on the local authority's website reads:
'Any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the authority in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services provided disclosure of these terms would prejudice the Council in these or any other negotiations.'
Campaigners have battled leading business figures and the local authority over redevelopment plans, citing the park's importance to the community's physical and mental health.
They have also lodged criticism over the council's democratic processes, as plans for the redevelopment have plowed ahead despite community opposition.
A legal challenge alleging the local authority failed to meet its duties under the Equality Act 2010 was defeated in the Court of Session in May, leading to the submission of two planning applications to alter the site.
Planning permission in principle to build on the land had been granted in January 2025.
ETZ Ltd, a not for profit company chaired by billionaire industrialist Ian Wood, was set up in 2021 and has promised to create 2,500 local jobs and £400m in economic growth.
Billionaire energy tycoon Sir Ian Wood. (Image: NQ) Reacting to the news, Scott Herrett of the Friends of St Fittick's Park told The Herald:
'Democracy in Aberdeen is currently broken. In making shady backroom deals with Ian Woods ETZ Ltd, SNP and Lib Dem councillors and their officers have shown contempt for people in Torry by prioritising the pockets of rich corporate executives than the people who elected them.
'Instead they need to reject ETZ Ltd's delusional plans for St Fittick's Park, pay the RAAC homeowners what they demand and start repairing trust among people in communities right across Aberdeen.
'If not, then democracy will eventually return and I'm sure many will be booted out without a job.'
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People living in Torry, which already hosts an incinerator and waste treatment facility, have long spoken out against the proposed development for years.
To add insult to injury, more than 500 properties in the neighborhood of Balgnaask, which borders the park, have been found to contain reinforced aerated autoclaved concrete (RAAC), a brittle building material which has been deemed unsafe for habitation.
Dr Adrian Crofton, clinical lead at the area's medical practice, told The Herald in February that the park's redevelopment would negatively affect the health of residents, whose average life expectancy is 12 years lower than those living in Aberdeen's affluent suburbs.
Crofton said: 'The area adjacent to that park has the poorest health outcomes in the North of Scotland. The people here suffer from poor relative health to everyone else.
'The local schools are saying that children have a loss of sense of identity, and place and belonging. It's hard to measure in numbers but the impact is real.'
Medical professionals say the loss of a portion of the park could prove deadly. (Image: NQ Archive) An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson declined to comment.
They noted: 'We are unable to make a comment on Exempt Business considered at the Council meeting. We will be publishing the minute of the Council meeting in due course and our priority thereafter will be to directly communicate with our communities.'
A spokesperson for ETZ Ltd also declined to comment.
However, the group has previously said it is committed to restoring wetlands in the portion of the park that will not be used by renewable energy companies, building recreational amenities and walking paths, and improving biodiversity and accessibility.
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