Union Terrace Gardens: Open Spaces UnLtd's Option 7

An Open Spaces UnLtd broadcast proposing a 7th design option for Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen, Scotland. Our proposal was rudely excluded from the official design exhibition so we decided to set up outside and make do from there. In just 5 hours on Saturday the 22nd of October 2011 our design received over 300 votes from the citizens of Aberdeen (see photo evidence).

Unfortunately, due to staff shortages we were unable to maintain a presence on the street for the full duration of the exhibition. However, we feel that our results reflect an accurate representation of public feeling in the Granite City and we left knowing that our design had the full backing of the majority of the people of Aberdeen. Thanks again for your support and thanks to those who voted for our 'vision'.

Rt.Hon. George Maloney II, CEO Open Spaces UnLtd

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Union
• Terrace
• Gardens
• Aberdeen
• Ian
• Wood
• ACSEF
• City
• Council
• Open
• Spaces
• UnLtd
• TIF
• Debt
• Heritage
• Big
• Huge

[chichoscaprichos]

I hope my humble offering help to shed some light on those "arrogant" people who may not be fully supportive of your personal agenda.

Thanks again and please don't hesitate to contact us if there is anything else we can do for you.

George Maloney III

[chichoscaprichos]

Money does appear, at least to many people, to be buying opinion. The pro-UTG groups simply do not have the funds that this unregistered group enjoy and as a result the debate is not fair or balanced. I fear that such disregard for public opinion will lead to consumers simply withdrawing their savings from the confidence-in-business-elites-­and-ACC bank and will oblige them to look for other ways to run their society.

[chichoscaprichos]

spending far more than the £8000 allowed to official campaign groups. It was stated that the playing was not very level. Especially when the Facebook page revealed that 50 anonymous business people were behind the venture. Many of our participants had become disillusioned and tired by the constant stream of Royal Mail delivered pro-CGP propaganda dropping though their doors. The flyers, newspapers, radio adverts, video and pro-CGP media were all identified as major concerns throughout the survey

[chichoscaprichos]

especially when one considers the number of budgets and services which are being liquidated and how that might affect the most vulnerable in our society.

The final point I'd like make is that, according to our telephone survey, the public felt the referendum itself might be undemocratic. Many participants raised concerns about the funding of a group called the 'Vote for the City Gardens Project'. They felt that, as it had not registered as an official campaign organisation, is may be

[chichoscaprichos]

only included funding for 6 schemes but when the ACC scheme was not recommended by the Scottish Futures Trust (a body appointed by the government to scrutinize TIF applications and make recommendations on the sensibility of the business case to the government) to Holyrood ministers decided that they might be able to find an extra £92 million to finance said initiative.

I suspect that the public, in these terrible times of austerity, simply feel that spending such money is not prudent,

[chichoscaprichos]

very little in the way of information about the funding mechanisms. The TIF scheme has a very blotted co-opy book and I wonder if the public aren't beginning to get a little restless about the details.

Our team has, through vigorous investigation, shown that the consumers tend towards anti-austerity views. They felt that the Scottish Government were changing the rules of the game halfway through. It was pointed out to me by one of our most esteemed clients that the original TIF pilot scheme

[MikeD2006]

@knabzco It's shouty rude people like yourself with limited vocabulary, foresight (and probably intellect), that will be hypocritically having a screaming tantrum about their massively inflated council tax bills when the project's extra funding of £100million fails to materialise, and the council have to squeeze Aberdeen dry to finish off a massive unfinished hole in the ground.

[chichoscaprichos]

the retention of the gardens. Additionally, our Public Relations Department found that citizens did not care much for the marketing strategies of the pro-CGP teams. They felt that they had been delivered an ultimatum, a threat, if you will. Our research shows that Aberdonians do not respond well to threats, especially when they are being threatened by those who completely ignored their feedback forms. I, again speaking as a citizen of the Granite City, feel that the public have been offered

[chichoscaprichos]

I suspect that consumers in the city are unsatisfied with their choice of local quangos given the our foremost advisory body ACSEF, a board of millionaire businessmen with only 2 elected representatives, appears to have unrestrained influence over the economic direction in which our city is being driven. I also suspect that consumers are unsatisfied with the matter of public consultations. In this particular case, consumers have been consulted twice and have, both times, called for

[chichoscaprichos]

Thank you for getting in touch again Mr. knabzco. We at Open Spaces Unltd feel that we cannot speak for the citizens of Aberdeen as we are an unlimited company but I would, speaking as an individual of course, like to offer my thoughts on the issue.

Our feedback analysis actually found the "arrogant" ones to be those in our society who have no regard for democracy or decency. I suspect, again speaking as an individual, that this result pertains to the veil of secrecy that surrounds the project.