Latest news with #EnergyTransitionZone
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Aberdeen park faces bulldozers as planning documents lodged
However, after a legal challenge was defeated in the Court of Session, two planning applications to alter the site have been submitted to Aberdeen City Council. At an emergency community meeting on Monday evening, campaigners spoke about the importance of the park and discussed ways to combat the planning applications. Campaigners Scott Herrett, Ishbel Shand, and Richard Caie (L-R). (Image: Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco) Campaigner and local resident Scott Herrett told attendees: 'It's important to remind ourselves the planning process is not the only way in which to protect the park. "The council still has to vote to lease the land to ETZ Ltd before anything can happen. If these applications pass, then it's likely this might happen later this year.' Energy company ETZ Ltd, which is backed by oil and gas tycoon Sir Ian Wood, has long expressed a desire to turn part of the park into office space. The group says the 'opportunity zone' will benefit the renewable energy sector and Aberdeen's economy. However, campaigners have hotly contested these remarks. "I love the park, this is pure vandalism of a much enjoyed space filled with nature. It's completely disrespectful of local residents. Coupled with that, there seems no prospect that industry will come or jobs be created," said Chris Aldred, a Torry resident and member of Friends of St. Fittick's Park. Ishbel Shand, a long-time member of the group, told The Herald: "The proposed transfer of St Fittick's from the public to the private sector has nothing to do with creating jobs or combatting climate change. The Port of Aberdeen built a harbour in a pristine bay and they want the land for supporting infrastructure - offices, refuelling tanks and so forth. Shand added: 'I suspect the plan is to trash the park and when no-one shows any interest in using the sites for renewable projects argue that they might as well use it for port infrastructure since it has been trashed. 'That's what it did with the 'temporary construction site' on the park despite a legal requirement to reinstate it and return it to public ownership.' St Fitttick's Park viewed from the air. The council has previously signed off on a masterplan for the area and planning permission in principle. Now, they will be asked to make a more detailed decision. According to the ETZ's masterplan, a third of the park will be converted into 'high-value energy transition activity' with quayside access to the nearby Aberdeen South Harbour. A statement on their website reads: 'By partnering with the community, industry and investors, and harnessing world-class experience and know-how, the 40 hectare Energy Transition Zone will help the UK and Scotland reach Net Zero targets and will deliver sustainable economic and job security for our region and our people.' Read more from Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco: Calls to bring back this 'unique' detail in this popular Glasgow shopping centre Tory anger over 'woeful' LEZ retrofit scheme as Aberdeen businesses flounder How much has new trains procurement cost taxpayers? Scot Gov refuses to say Glasgow Film Theatre praised by pro-Israel lobby group over BDS vote The issue has been a political football for years. The Labour and Conservative-led council administration voted to allow the site to be rezoned in 2020, over the objections of the SNP and Liberal Democrats. However, now in opposition, Labour says the park must be preserved, while the SNP-Lib Dem partnership has voted to progress the planning process. An Aberdeen Labour spokesperson said: 'We support the principles of the ETZ as the ETZ will support and create well paid jobs which is vital to the UK and Scottish economy. What we do not support is the vandalism of St Fittick's Park in Torry as we believe there is a suitable alternative to using this much loved park.' 'Our other concern is that the Council has not yet agreed to lease the park to any individual or organisation yet we are seeing a planning application from ETZ Ltd. Officers of the Council have not yet reported back to Council on what is happening with St Fittick's Park despite an instruction to do so back in September 2023. 'There is a huge worry within the community of Torry that Aberdeen City Council are working hand in glove with ETZ Ltd who are not the land owners of St Fitticks Park.' When asked for comment, an Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said the local authority did not comment on live planning applications. A decision on the matter is expected to be taken over the summer.
Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Developers reveal timeline of St Fittick's Park and Doonies Farm takeover as ETZ plans ramp up
Developers have plotted out exactly how they will transform Torry's St Fittick's Park and the former Doonie's Farm into a bustling industrial renewables hub. Work will take place to transform the Aberdeen park into an Energy Transition Zone (ETZ), much to the dismay of campaigners who recently lost a last-ditch legal challenge to protect the space. Just last week, activists failed to convince the Court of Session to overturn the council's ruling approving the development in principle. And the team behind the ETZ have now lodged further plans with the council to spell out the stages of the planned transformation. The work includes realigning the East Tullos Burn, landscaping projects and gradually paving over Doonies. Ultimately, the ETZ is hoped to transform the region's fortunes – securing a boom in employment by attracting major renewable energy firms to the north-east. But before all that, consent is needed for the sites. And we can now reveal how the mammoth project is poised to take shape. The first phase of the project focuses on realigning the East Tullos Burn. This will go hand in hand with landscaping works within and around the burn's corridor, if approved by Aberdeen City Council. Vegetation of the surrounding area will also be worked on in the hopes of improving the habitat and wetland species will be planted. There will also be measures taken to enhance water quality in the area. A new sports pitch will also replace the existing one at East Tullos playing fields. Following on, there will be more work to improve the surrounding area. Trees and further grassland will be planted on and off-site at Tullos Woods, while new play equipment will be created at the park. Footpaths within St Fittick's Park will be improved, making it easier for people to reach the ETZ site. Small 'parklets' will be formed in the surrounding neighbourhood too. And the Coast Road will also be realigned to give access to new development plots, in a major scheme. The construction of industrial buildings for the ETZ Zone will then begin. Two buildings will be built on the outskirts of the wooded area of the park, as will supporting car parks and refuse storage. The existing Nigg sewage plant will be retained with the ETZ buildings in place around the area. New greenery will then be planted in the surrounding areas of the building's grounds. As part of the works, bosses have pledged to help with repairs to historic St Fittick's Church. The Doonies Farm site will be transformed into a hydrogen campus with testing and demonstration facilities, years after the animals there were relocated. A new Links Road is to be built to connect the Coast Road to Peterseat Drive to allow access to the sites. Once these steps have been taken, the construction of the buildings required for the site will begin. Further greenery measures will also be introduced following the erection of the buildings. These could include green roofs, native species of trees, and hedgerows. But now developers will need their detailed vision for the ETZ to be approved by the local authority before any work can launch. You can see the St Fittick's Park and ETZ plans for yourself on the council's website. Exclusive: The 7 old Altens oil industry buildings being brought back to life in multi-million-pound ETZ spending spree New £9m ETZ building to generate dozens of Aberdeen jobs Aberdeen safety firm moves to new ETZ headquarters after seven-figure investment
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bid to stop St Fitticks's Park in Aberdeen being built on fails
A legal bid to stop Aberdeen City Council (ACC) using part of a park to develop an Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) has been appeal was lodged with the Court of Session in an attempt to protect St Fittick's Park in Torry - close to Aberdeen's new South Harbour - from any future had warned that it was the last green space in the area and said closing it would add to rising levels of pollution.A petition was rejected last year, and now an appeal has also been turned down. The scheme is seen by its supporters as a means of helping to diversify the economy in the argued the local authority failed to carry out an equality assessment aimed at finding out the impact the move would have on groups such as the young, elderly and the court found not every decision by a public body required such an ETZ Ltd statement said it was committed to working with the local community to enhance green spaces near the site."This will include significant improvements to St Fittick's Park, Tullos woods and the coastal path corridor as part of the project's wider regeneration ambitions," it added. It said that the plans would use about a third of the park overall. In response to the judgement, ACC said it noted the decision which had been taken by the Court of Session.
Scotsman
06-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
ECITB funding to help deliver Energy Transition Skills Hub in North East Scotland
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has awarded £400,000 to help deliver a dedicated Energy Transition Skills Hub (ETSH) in Aberdeen. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Plans for the new Hub were unveiled in September 2023 with the collaborative venture involving the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ Ltd), Scottish Government, Shell UK and North East Scotland College (NESCol) as part of a consortium of private and public investment. This extra funding, which comes from the ECITB's investment in Regional Skills Hubs, will further support the establishment and operation of the training facility, which is designed to help meet the current and future training needs of the energy transition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The ECITB investment will fund the equipping and fitting of a modern welding academy within the facility, including 32 welding bays, to help meet the growing demand for welders in the region. An artist's impression of the Energy Transition Skills Hub in Aberdeen. ECITB Chief Executive Andrew Hockey said: 'Our Labour Forecasting Tool predicts that the ECI could need thousands of additional workers over the coming years for major projects, including those that contribute to the country's net zero goals. 'Without a pipeline of trained, skilled workers all this risks not being achieved, which is why we're working with industry partners in the UK's industrial cluster regions to grow the number of skilled engineers and craftspeople we need now and in the future. 'As an integral part of workforce development and supporting the pipeline of new recruits into the energy industry, the Skills Hub will be central to the success of the long-term project to support the transition to renewable energies in North East Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The ECITB is delighted to support the project, with the proposal highlighting the commitment of industry partners to be involved in the designing, equipping and curriculum planning for the facility.' State-of-the-art Skills Hub The project has already received £4.5 million from the Scottish Government's Just Transition Fund, £2.3 million from ETZ Ltd and £500,000 from NESCol to transform a disused dairy adjacent to the college's Aberdeen Altens Campus into a state-of-the-art skills facility. Shell has also committed £1.8m towards the running costs of the Hub for the first five years with a view to supporting 1,000 jobs in the region, which sits in the 40-hectare Energy Transition Zone. The Hub will include a community space for local groups and a new, flexible curriculum, including weekend and evening courses, to increase availability of training for individuals who experience barriers in accessing traditional modes of attendance, such as adult returners. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The project will also see the deployment of an outreach mobile vehicle to promote careers in the energy sector. The vehicle will be available to visit all 27 secondary schools in North East Scotland, reaching potentially 15,000 pupils a year. The ECITB, alongside the founding partners and other industry representatives, will be part of an industry liaison group to help shape the curriculum. Subject areas covered by NESCol in the Hub will include welding, wind, general engineering and fabrication skills, carbon capture, usage and storage, renewables, hydrogen and electrical. NESCol is a further education college which provides a wide range of education and training opportunities to meet the needs of individuals, communities and employers in an extensive geographical area covering North East Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Operating from four main campuses, the college provides education and training integral to the oil and gas, renewable energy and power industries as well as the wider utilities sectors. The college applied for the extra funding from the ECITB's Regional Skills Hub fund. Robin McGregor, NESCol Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality, said: 'The Energy Transition Skills Hub is a hugely significant project for the college and our partners. 'NESCol works very closely with industry to ensure the skills required in the jobs market are reflected in the courses we offer and the learning environment we create, with the new facility underlining the ambition the partners share as a driving force in the journey to net zero. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'This investment in the environmental and economic sustainability of the region comes at a time of great opportunity for the north east and the college has a crucial role to play in ensuring the knowledge, skills and expertise that provide the foundation for energy transition are at the heart of that bright future.' Regional Skills Hub funding ECITB Regional Skills Hubs funding is designed to boost training provider capacity and grow new entrant numbers in industrial cluster hot spots and other major engineering construction centres of activity to help address skills shortages in the industry. For example, Aberdeen-headquartered 3t Training Services was awarded £200,000 to build three mobile units to deliver training across the UK in mechanical fitting, pipefitting and plating. Regional Skills Hubs funding grants of between £50,000 and £500,000 are available to ECI projects that meet set criteria. Find out more about Regional Skills Hub Funding at:
