Consultation has started into city centre Conservation Area

22 February 2021

A consultation has started into proposed updates to the city centre Conservation Area including five boundary changes.

The online consultation, which is available at City Centre Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Regulation 11 Direction Public Consultation - Aberdeen City Council - Citizen Space and runs until 2 April, would also give Aberdeen City Council more control over the type of large ‘To Let / For Sale’ signs in the area.

The five boundary proposed changes are:

Include Marischal Square and the immediate area;Include 41-43 Holburn Street (The Foundry), 16-18 Union Grove, and 28-38 Holburn Street and 4-14 Union Grove;Include 8-14 Chapel Street;Include 15-17 Gallowgate;Include 12-14 Virginia Street 22-24 Virginia Street.

The proposed Regulation 11 direction to remove deemed consent for large ‘To Let / For Sale’ signs would give the local authority more control over these signs as these can be unsightly at times and detract from the amenity and special character of the Conservation Area.

Aberdeen City Council city centre spokesperson Councillor Marie Boulton said: “Our beautiful city centre is filled with heritage and buildings which show the development of the city from medieval times to the grand Georgian and Victorian buildings to the modern-day.

“We’d urge anyone who lives or works in the area, or has an interest in the built heritage of Aberdeen, to take part in the consultation.”

The last Conservation Area Appraisal for Union Street was written in 2007 and requires to be updated to take into account an updated policy and socio-economic context as well as recent developments.

A comprehensive review of the Conservation Area has taken place and it has been considered within the context of the City Centre Masterplan, Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), and the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) and it will be a key document for informing decisions made regarding future development within the city centre, from small alterations to historic buildings to larger new developments.

At the end of the consultation, all comments will be summarised and reported back to a future meeting of the Planning Development Management Committee.