Our once great city of Aberdeen destroyed by greed, corruption and incompetence, while the leaders line their own pockets with huge fat cat salaries, as services erode away, and they head off with their gold plated pensions leaving Aberdeen behind in the rubble of their incompetence.

Amid the vast spectrum of human behaviour, there’s incompetence, there’s stupidity—and then there’s sheer vindictiveness. And truly, has there ever been a more incompetent council in the history of the British Isles than Aberdeen City Council over the past 30 years? There are certainly contenders—Birmingham comes to mind—but Aberdeen’s council is in a league of its own.

The reputation of our once-proud city has been systematically eroded by career politicians whose greed and bitter envy of others’ success taint every decision they make. They’ve repeatedly voted against anyone willing to invest in what was once a thriving city. The image at the top of this article, showing Donald Trump’s dealings with the council, stands as a stark example of their inability to allow others to succeed—even at the cost of major investment and global recognition.

There are far too many examples of Aberdeen City Council’s failures to list in full, but to spare you 500 hours of reading, we’ll narrow it down to some of their most shameful and damaging actions.

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TULLOS INCINERATOR - WASTE £250M

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We’ll begin with the new waste incinerator project at Tullos — a £225 million white elephant. It was intended to process waste from Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and beyond, generating enough surplus energy to power parts of the city. Yet, less than a year after opening, the facility has already been shut down. Once all additional fees and hidden costs are factored in, the true price tag is nearing £250 million. The crippling virtually impossible to make profit contract terms imposed on the operator saw them walk away from the project, forcing them to absorb enormous losses. The exact reasons behind the operator’s withdrawal remain cloaked in secrecy, and we expect court cases in the coming years. The council has tried to shift blame onto the plant’s subcontractors — but it was Aberdeen City Council who negotiated and approved the disastrous contract terms in the first place. Now, the council is spending millions transporting that same waste to Peterhead and other sites, only for it to end up in landfill — exactly as it did before the incinerator was built. The difference? We’ve now burned through £250 million of public money for nothing. This stands as one of the most expensive and wasteful public projects in Scotland’s recent history — a monument to failure, mismanagement, and misguided “green” ambition.

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SIR IAN WOOD UNION TERRACE GARDENS - WASTE £200M

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Next comes another great Aberdeen City Council howler: the rejection of Sir Ian Wood’s ambitious proposal to transform Union Terrace. Sir Ian offered £90 million, plus an additional £30 million to cover any overruns — a total of £120 million, which, adjusted for inflation, would be worth around £200 million today. His proposal included a sensible financing model in which part of the additional funding would come from future council tax receipts — the very same approach used successfully by Dundee City Council to deliver their £1 billion waterfront regeneration and the acclaimed V&A Museum, but Aberdeen city council had the spines of an insect, against Dundee city council representatives bravery and forward thinking. For this our councillors should be truly ashamed. Our lovely Aberdeen City Council rejected the plan — even after the public voted in favour of it through a citywide referendum. Their decision, driven by spite rather than sense, robbed Aberdeen of a transformative opportunity and condemned it to stagnation. It remains one of the most regrettable decisions in our city’s history — a project that could have redefined Aberdeen’s identity and future. Instead, the council turned away the greatest offer of investment and renewal ever made to the city, simply to prove that a handful of politicians could wield more power than a billionaire philanthropist. And sadly, for that moment, they did.

 

BEACH CYCLE LANES - WASTE £1M

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The howlers continue. Aberdeen city council spent nearly £500,000 installing cycle lanes down at the beach front no one wanted. Traffic was now one way, cars stayed away, people stopped coming. Aberdeen beach has the widest pavements in the whole of the city, and was perfectly suitable for cyclists and pedestrians alike to enjoy the area side by side, it didnt need lines and wasted cones. After a huge public backlash, and seeing no benefit, these were removed which cost another £400,000. With the council staff burned and the engineering hours expended, the true cost is likely far higher.

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NO OUTSIDE CAFE - WASTE £??M

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Now let’s turn to how our ever-helpful council supports the city’s cafés and hospitality businesses. Take The Dutch Mill, for example — forced to dismantle its outdoor tented area after being hit with an astonishing £25,000 annual rateable value on what was, in essence, a temporary structure. The cost made it completely unsustainable for the business. Aberdeen has almost no genuine outdoor café culture. A few places like Ferryhill and The Albyn have managed to offer some al fresco seating, but beyond that, such spaces are rare. Why? Because the council’s excessive rates make them financially impossible to maintain. Even the small seating areas along the beachfront are burdened with inflated rateable values, stripping away any meaningful profit that might come from offering them. Local businesses simply can’t afford to operate on such thin margins when the council treats every chair and table as a taxable luxury. Meanwhile, in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness, councils encourage outdoor seating — for the majority of them, there's no rates to pay, and the difference in atmosphere is striking. Those cities feel alive, welcoming, and vibrant. Aberdeen, by contrast, behaves more like a protection racket than a public body — granting permission only if businesses pay heavily for the privilege, denying those that can't. There’s no thought, no vision, and certainly no understanding of what makes a great city thrive. The absence of café culture in Aberdeen isn’t by accident; it’s a reflection of the council’s small-minded policies and utter lack of imagination.

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ULEZ - WASTE ITS COST THE CITY TENS OF £MILLIONS

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And then there’s ULEZ — the old chestnut. As one of the most northerly cities in Scotland, Aberdeen already enjoys some of the cleanest air in the entire UK. Sitting right on the coast, the city benefits nightly from fresh sea air that naturally clears pollutants — a built-in advantage that most other cities can only dream of. So what did the introduction of ULEZ achieve? It effectively drove away around 15% of all vehicles entering Aberdeen — between 7,000 and 10,000 cars every single day. Those cars belonged to people who once came into the city to shop, eat, visit museums, or enjoy a coffee. Now, they simply stay away. The result? The single greatest collapse in visitor numbers Aberdeen has ever experienced — a self-inflicted wound disguised as environmental policy. This wasn’t about green. It was about greed. The scheme has stripped the city of an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 potential spenders each week — people who once helped sustain local businesses. Does our council truly not understand that reviving a city depends on attracting as many people as possible into it? Their short-sightedness will eventually create a city centre devoid of cars, visitors, and commerce — a hollow “green” shell mistaken for progress. And when that day comes, they’ll pat themselves on the back and declare success:

“Look at us — we’ve made Aberdeen the greenest city in Scotland! No cars, no people, no businesses.”

Then we have our youngsters. What have they done for our children? Only closed two of the most used public swimming pools in the city. Backburn and the Beach leisure centres.

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BUS GATES - WASTE £??M

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Few council decisions have been as divisive — or as damaging — as the introduction of the bus gates. Yet another nail in the coffin for the businesses on Guild Street and Bridge Street, and another clear reason for people to avoid the city centre altogether. It’s nothing short of disgraceful. Even within the council itself, there’s significant unrest. Many insiders reportedly disagree with the policy but remain silent — too afraid to speak out for fear of internal retaliation. To counter the mounting backlash, a council spokeswoman (who, tellingly, refused to be named) told The Times: “Independent data from HUQ Signals shows that footfall in Aberdeen city centre grew by 3.6% in 2024, compared to 2023, and Aberdeen continues to outperform the Scottish and UK national averages.” A statement that can only be described as a lie of biblical proportions — an attempt to disguise the reality of their destructive policies. It’s little more than a PR smokescreen to protect a council intent on currying favour with bus companies, no matter the cost to the city’s traders and residents.

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HYDROGEN BUSES - WASTE £50M

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Just when you thought the incinerator debacle couldn’t be topped for sheer waste and incompetence, along comes this gem. In their desperate attempt to appease the so-called green elite, Aberdeen City Council managed to burn through—wait for it—nearly £50 million on just six hydrogen buses. It wasn’t merely the cost of the buses themselves. The council also poured millions into building the hydrogen production facilities — electrolyser stations designed to generate the fuel to keep the fleet running. And the result? The project’s operator, BOC, eventually walked away after discovering it was impossible to make the scheme financially viable. With no one left to maintain or fund the hydrogen infrastructure, the buses were left without fuel — and the city, once again, with nothing to show for an eye-watering public expense. Another grand green gesture from Aberdeen City Council — high on symbolism, bankrupt in execution. To be fair, the idea initially wasn't a poor one, as it was revolutionary. But there's a phrase in the Oil & Gas Industry. Never be first to try something in the industry, wait until it's been proven somewhere else. I'm unsure if those Hydrogen buses ever ran again or the project was brought back on track.   The management prowess of Aberdeen City Council was on full display during the construction of the new P&J Live Arena. Originally budgeted at £185 million, the final bill came in at a staggering £335 million — almost double the estimate. And the pattern didn’t stop there. The Aberdeen Art Gallery redevelopment also spiralled out of control, overshooting its budget by £5 million to reach £34 million, and arriving nearly two years behind schedule. Once again, what should have been civic triumphs became case studies in financial mismanagement and delay — hallmarks of a council seemingly incapable of delivering major projects on time or within budget.

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E-BIKES - WASTE £2M

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Then there’s the Share bike fiasco — the ill-fated bike hire scheme meant to provide tourists and late-night revellers with an easy way to get around the city. A total of 450 electric bikes, costing £750 each, came to around £337,000 — and that’s before installation, maintenance, and management costs were added. The result? Every single one of those bikes has now been scrapped. Hundreds of thousands of pounds in public money wasted, and absolutely nothing left to show for it. Aberdeen City council loves the headlines that accompany such schemes, but don't have the business sense to manage them. Another brilliant example of Aberdeen City Council’s gift for turning good ideas into expensive failures.

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CLOSING UNION STREET - WASTE £10M

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Closing Union Street for nearly two years has decimated the city centre’s businesses. Yet some still cling to the fantasy that reopening it will magically bring people back. What utter nonsense. This is another £30 million squandered with nothing to show for it. Many businesses have been forced to close, cars still can’t access the area, and the biggest outrage of all? Not a single affected business received rates relief while the work was underway — even as the council systematically stripped away all their customers. It’s a stark example of planning gone spectacularly wrong, with the financial and human cost falling squarely on the city’s traders.

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CORRUPTION - WASTE £UNKNOWN

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What of Aberdeen City Council’s well-documented corruption? There have been numerous scandals over the years. Take, for example, council employee Michael Paterson, who managed to scam seven-figure sums in council tax refunds over a 17-year period — a glaring symptom of a council operating with no proper protocols or systems to manage public money. A shameful disgrace.

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PARK AND RIDES - WASTE £20M

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Lets now look at the city's park and rides, wow what a Fiasco that is. So in their wisdom, Aberdeen city council decided to spend nearly £15.2m on a brand new park and ride facility near Aberdeen airport in Dyce. With their grand green vision of allowing those who work, or wish to visit the city centre to leave their car and prevent their beautiful city from being additionally polluted by that car. What happened, it failed so spectacularly because as all car owners know, if they can't take their car anywhere they go, they do not simply source another mode of transport, they don't go. Its simple fact, no matter what transport you lay on, if it's not in the comfort of their own car, the journey simply won't happen, and it's just a mentality Aberdeen city council won't ever get into their heads. Every single thing they do, pushes more and more people away from the city. If they could get rid of this utterly ridiculous idea that putting on better faster forms of public transport shall ever get people into the city is one of the biggest myths in history. It won't. The final result was that the bus company pulled out when no one used the service, so now even if you wanted to there's no buses from it. Now it sits as a monument to failure, with weeds growing and no cars parked.

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QUESTIONABLE - WASTE £10M

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High-value properties have also been sold under what can only be described as questionable circumstances. The Seafield Grammar FP Rugby Club and its land, for instance, sold for a paltry £695,000, despite being valued between £3 million and £5 million. Only one company was apparently invited to bid, and it’s likely that open competition would have fetched significantly more. Similarly, a council-owned car park, worth over £3 million, was sold for less than half that sum. Numerous local builders had expressed an interest in acquiring council properties but were never given the opportunity. Audit Scotland, carefully choosing its words, described the situation as “bordering on neglect.” The lack of transparency continues. In 2019, investigators examined the council’s compliance with procurement legislation across £600 million in payments and contracts. They found that procurement rules were routinely bypassed: certain specialist suppliers were excluded from tender opportunities, while others, without any experience supplying those services, were allowed to bid. While technically not illegal, it was highly unethical — favouring some while shutting out others. One can’t help but be reminded of the Michelle Mone PPE scandal and similar examples of public mismanagement. Aberdeen City Council’s record on transparency and financial probity remains deeply troubling, leaving taxpayers to shoulder the consequences of mismanagement and questionable decision-making.

 

DONALD TRUMP - WASTE £500M

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Donald Trump may be a divisive figure with many critics, but putting that aside, his treatment in Aberdeen was nothing short of shameful. As a businessman, he sought to build nearly 1,000 homes on the Menie Estate, each valued at over £1 million. Yes, it was a property venture intended to make a profit — but isn’t that what businesspeople do? Isn’t that exactly how prosperity and jobs have been created throughout history? Building developments brings both wealth and opportunity to an area. Yet Aberdeen City Council, driven by bitter jealousy, rejected his proposal. The consequences were staggering: £1 billion in investment lost, countless construction jobs vanished, £5 million in annual council tax revenue foregone, worker accommodation never built, and the energy and vibrancy that high-net-worth visitors would have brought to the city, entirely squandered. Many of these visitors were businesspeople themselves, potentially ready to invest further in Aberdeen — all opportunities lost. The council’s resentment was palpable: they had no stake in the deal and appeared determined to block anyone more successful than themselves from progressing. Consider the curious case of Vattenfall: it's alleged their planning permission for wind turbines was repeatedly refused — until Trump publicly denounced windmills and didn't want them as a backdrop for his proposed golf course, after which approval was suddenly granted. The council’s actions consistently suggest a pattern of bitterness and obstruction toward anyone willing to invest in the city. Trump may not have handled everything perfectly on the Menie Estate, but at the heart of it, he was simply a victim of his own success — and of a council more interested in envy than opportunity.

 

THE COUNCILS OWN OFFICE BLOCK - WASTE £100M

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And the howlers keep coming. After rejecting Sir Ian Wood’s £120 million proposal for the Union Terrace Gardens project — claiming the city couldn’t afford it — Aberdeen City Council somehow found £40 million to renovate the Marischal College building for their own offices. Not money used to support businesses, or continue with some of the great public services they do provide, No a spending orgy of indulgence for themselves and the grandest office building in Scotland. In a city overflowing with empty, high-quality industrial and office spaces for rent, the council chose to take the most expensive office building ever conceived in Aberdeen for themselves. To make matters worse, they are now locked into a 100-year lease, with rent guaranteed to be among the highest per square foot in the entire UK. This has to rank as one of the single biggest wastes of taxpayer money in the city’s history — a stunning display of misplaced priorities, hubris, and financial mismanagement.

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BUSINESS RATES - WASTE £30M

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Moving on. Over 20 perfectly good commercial buildings in Aberdeen have been demolished — not because they lacked value or purpose, but to prevent exorbitant, punitive business rates from financially crushing their owners.

Among the iconic losses: Citygate, the former Amec offices, valued at £30 million, was bulldozed after its owners paid £14 million in rates over eight years while it sat empty.

The Shell building has also been demolished, permanently removing £4 million in potential annual business rates. Malcolm Allan’s commercial offices in Dyce, another prime property, met the same fate. In total, over £200 million of valuable property has been destroyed — not because it had no use, but because the council and Scottish Government insisted on crushing rates demands rather than supporting owners in keeping the buildings viable. The result? The goose that lays the golden eggs was killed, just when Aberdeen needs inward investment the most. Yet when it suits them, Aberdeen City Council can hand out nearly £2 million in rate relief for projects like Marischal Square which they back so vociferously. Tenants moving into Marischal Square are not small businesses, they are some of the biggest and some of the wealthiest companies in Britain. Meanwhile, long-standing small businesses whose lives have been turned upside down by the works on Union Street are struggling to survive, are given no relief whatsoever, its hypocrisy at its finest. This is a national scandal, a demonstration of mismanagement and misplaced priorities that continues to stifle growth and investor confidence in Aberdeen.

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NO CULTURE - WASTE £15M - A YEAR

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So why has there been no major pop concerts or any other concerts in the new Union Terrace gardens? Union Terrace Gardens is a bitter pill to swallow. Compare it to Slessor Gardens in Dundee — one of Scotland’s finest examples of brilliant outdoor space. An Aberdeen businessman once proposed hosting a music event in the new Union Terrace Gardens. Not a single council official responsible for the site responded to his initial enquiry. By contrast, when he approached Dundee City Council with the same proposal, he was met with a fully organised infrastructure ready to support the event. They were willing to close city roads for six hours and do everything possible to ensure success. The result? Open-air city centre concerts featuring major acts like Tom Jones, Rita Ora, UB40, ABC, Little Mix, the Pretenders, the Human League, and many more. Slessor Gardens even has a dedicated website to help people book and organise events. Aberdeen City Council? Nothing. Their approach is consistently about why you can’t, rather than how you can. Every inquiry starts with legislation and rules designed to block action: why traffic will be a disaster, why someone might swear after 8:30 p.m., why an alcohol licence can’t be granted, why a medical team can’t be provided, and on and on. It’s an endless list of obstacles, not solutions. Dundee has transformed itself into one of Scotland’s most vibrant cities thanks to a council willing to take brave, non-selfish decisions. By comparison, Aberdeen should be utterly ashamed.

Many are ashamed of what our city has become, and there's many who will defend it, and in a democracy they are entitled to that opinion. Until we look in the mirror and truly acknowledge the problems, there is no hope of fixing them. Prosperity is only delivered to any area, when people are brought in. Simple, that's it, nothing more. Every decision our council seems to make, is another nail in the coffin of that goal.  If we continue publishing glowing articles about how “great” Aberdeen is, dismissing the Issues we will never confront the challenges — and what the city desperately needs is real leadership.

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The legacy of our councillors is nothing short of disgraceful: a sustained, shameful pattern of self-indulgence and destruction of business, Career politicians, never having run a business in their lives. A city that was once among Scotland’s finest has been reduced to a place few wish to visit or invest in.

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Thank you to Aberdeen City Council — the shame your office has brought to the people of this city incalculable. Your self Interest has seen you helping to dismantle what was once the greatest city in Scotland.

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