Peacock Visual Arts spitting feathers

The future of Aberdeen’s main contemporary arts centre, Peacock Visual Arts, hangs in the balance as plans for its new city centre building have been shelved in favour of a garden square that will cost an estimated £140m. After a seven-hour debate, Aberdeen City Council voted for Union Terrace Gardens to be redeveloped with the help of an international design competition, following the offer of £50m towards the project from local businessman Sir Ian Wood. John Stewart, Aberdeen City Council’s Leader Councillor, said he hoped “the generous offer might open the door to more private sector funding”. The remaining balance needed to complete the new garden is still to be secured.
The decision means that Peacock Visual Arts, which had full planning permission and more than £4m in Scottish Arts Council lottery funds to build an arts centre in the same space, has abandoned its scheme. Andrew Dixon, the new Chief Executive of Creative Scotland (interviewed on p6), has urged both sides involved in the controversial project to develop a third way forward for the city.