Taskforce set up to save Union Street
'I have not stepped forward because it sounds easy - I have chosen to get involved because it will be hard'
Last updated 29th Jan 2024
An expert taskforce has been set up with the sole focus of saving Union Street.
The idea was raised November’s emergency Union Street summit and the organisation is being set-up by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Aberdeen Inspired, Aberdeen City Council and Opportunity North East, with additional support from Shell, which recently relocated to the street.
The organisation is currently raising funds and will have its own premises on the Granite Mile – but first it is seeking ideas from everyone who wants to improve the city centre.
A new website – ourunionstreet.com – has been set-up to allow residents and businesses to get in touch and share their thoughts.
Who's in charge?
Leading the way will be Chairman and President of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Bob Keiller CBE.
"I want to help because I care - I want Aberdeen to have a vibrant and clean Union Street", he explained.
"I don’t own any property on Union Street, I don’t have any interest in any businesses that operate on Union Street and I am not looking to gain anything.
Mr Keiller, 59, has previously sat as chair of Scottish Enterprise and CEO of Wood PLC, as well as being named as Scottish Male Business Leader of the Year at the 2011 Scottish Leadership Awards.
"I have not stepped forward because it sounds easy - I have chosen to get involved because it will be hard", he added.
"We cannot go back in time and change shopping habits, or change decisions that have been made in the city centre. We can only start from now and make changes that improve the future."
What will the taskforce do?
Mr Keiller will now seek to build an army of volunteers drawn from all corners of Aberdeen to help arrest decades of decline in the city centre.
"Union Street is not what it used to be, it’s not what it should be, and it’s not what it can be.
"People care about the state of Union Street; they care that many retail units sit empty and uninviting, they care about graffiti, litter, dirty buildings, weeds growing on balconies and the general upkeep of the street.
"They want Union Street to be a safe, busy, energetic, thriving thoroughfare that compares favourably with the best of UK’s small cities.
"And they want somebody to take responsibility for addressing these challenges and improving the street; a consistent, concerted effort with plans, actions and progress.
"To date, there has been no single body that has the remit to take on these challenges and opportunities. That’s what the brand-new organisation is for."