City Centre Masterplan

Changes are being made to some roads in Aberdeen city centre which will make it easier and safer for people to move around the city centre by walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport, and result in a less polluted city centre environment. Access will still be possible to all properties, car parks and other destinations, however in some cases the routes that cars can take to get to these destinations will change. We will inform the public when the changes to Bridge Street, Market Street, and Guild Street will happen.

The changes are as follows:

Union Street

Union Street, between Bridge Street and Market Street, has reopened to bus, taxi and cycles only with service access via Back Wynd.

Back Wynd

The taxi rank will be reintroduced and service vehicle access for Union Street.

Bridge Street, Market Street, Guild Street

Changes are being made in this area to make it easier and safer for people to travel on foot or by bike between Union Street and Union Square (including the bus and train station), and to help speed up buses through the city centre.

Market Street will become:

• Bus, taxi/private hire and cycle only (with timed loading permitted) between Union Street and Hadden Street; and
• bus, taxi/private hire, cycle and local access only between Hadden Street and Guild Street.

This means that business traffic and residents of this area will access Market Street, Hadden Street and Exchange Street from the south end of Market Street.

Guild Street on the eastbound side of the road will become:

• bus, taxi/private hire, cycle and local access only between Carmelite Street and Stirling Street; and
• bus, taxi/private hire and cycle only (with timed loading permitted) between Stirling Street and Market Street.

Guild Street on the westbound side of the road will become:

• bus, taxi/private hire and cycle only between Market Street and Street Exchange Street;
• bus, taxi/private hire, cycle and local access only (with timed loading permitted) between Carmelite Street and Exchange Street.

This means that business traffic and residents of this area will access Stirling Street and St. Magnus House from the west end of Guild Street.

Bridge Street will become:

• bus, taxi/private hire, cycle and local access only between Union Street and Bath Street; and
• bus, taxi/private hire and cycle only (with timed loading permitted) between Bath Street and Guild Street.

This means that business traffic and residents of this area will access Bridge Street, Bath Street and Windmill Brae from the Union Street end of Bridge Street.

Trinity Street will also become one way eastbound to address potential safety issues at the Trinity Street / Carmelite Street junction.

Schoolhill

• Traffic will become one way only (eastbound) on Schoolhill between Belmont Street and Flourmill Lane; and
• Back Wynd to Flourmill Lane will have access for service vehicles on a timed basis.

Union Terrace

• A right-turn restriction is being introduced between Union Terrace and Rosemount Viaduct meaning only buses, taxis/private hire and cycles can turn right at this junction.

A review of the CCMP was agreed at a meeting of the city growth and resources committee in May 2021 as it was first approved in 2015 and there have been several achievements to date including the completion of Aberdeen Art Gallery, the Music Hall, Marischal Square, Broad Street, and Provost Skene’s House. In summer 2022, the regeneration of Union Terrace Gardens will be finished. Find out more about the review that was presented to the City Growth and Resources committee in August 2021.

A public consultation was held as part of the review for people to give their views on the area, allocating points to indicate how important an issue is.  The results of the public consultation exercise found the top 10 priorities received were: 

• Union Street as the heart of the city
• Make outdoor café culture in the Belmont Street area permanent
• Focus on building maintenance and upkeep for Union Street
• The beach as location for a new stadium
• More trees, flowers and green spaces on Union Street
• A pedestrianised central section of Union Street (Market Street to Bridge Street)
• Improve connections from the beach to the city centre
• Remove street clutter on Union Street
• Make more of the Castlegate space
• Improve connections from the city centre to the beach.

The August 2021 City Growth and Resources committee agreed several changes as a result of the review including a major redesign of the streetscape of Union Street, the West End, Schoolhill/Upperkirkgate and Castlegate.  This included a building condition survey for all properties on Union Street, develop proposals for a permanent café culture in the Belmont Street and Back Wynd area, and install outdoor seating outside the Art Gallery.  You can find out more in the Agenda, Papers and Decision Sheet for the August 2021 City Growth and Resources meeting. 

Other measures which have been agreed include a proposed permanent outdoor areas to promote café culture.

The full responses to questions as part of the Review: 

The submitted comments: 

The emailed comments: