Remaining Union Street traders ‘paying the price’ of delayed masterplan work
Dozens of units along the Granite Mile closed in the last year.
Traders who have stayed to play their part in Union Street’s revival are claimed to be “paying the price” for the neglect of the Granite Mile.
Aberdeen’s main shopping street has been left to fall into a “sorry state of deterioration” while £20 million roadworks have faced prolonged delay.
New figures show nearly 30 businesses called time on their stint on Union Street between April 2024 and March 2025.
The 27 departures included NatWest, We Too!, Sk:n Aberdeen, and the Yorkshire Building Society.
The statistics, obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through freedom of information, show the number is far less still than the gutting Union Street faced the year before.
In the 2023-2024 financial year, 84 units were shuttered by businesses, including Barclays, Caffè Nero, Wood Group, Ladbrokes and Bank of Scotland.
However, some of these moved to other city centre spots.
Union Street jeweller: ‘I don’t know how we will survive’
Earlier this month, The Press and Journal shared the fears of Simon Baladan, who owns the Northern Diamond jewellers.
“I don’t know how we will survive. We have lost our hope,” he told us, as an end date to the works outside his door at 141 Union Street is still unknown.
Only yesterday, gaming shop and meeting place Geek Retreat, which is just west of the Bridge Street end of the works, announced it would close early into January.
It had been hoped that the council’s contractors Morrison Construction would have moved on to the next piece of the Union Street central puzzle this month — taking on the unknown beneath the surface of Union Bridge next.
Council chiefs have already shared their fears about the subterranean problems they might encounter on the world’s largest single-span granite bridge.
Union Street traders ‘plagued’ by roadworks, bus gates and the LEZ
North East Conservative MSP Liam Kerr thinks the prolonged works, alongside the recently court-backed bus gates and low emission zone (LEZ), are a “plague” upon Aberdeen city centre.
He said: “The devastating demise of Union Street lies solely at the front door of the harmful decisions being made by this shambolic council.
“Aberdeen City Council has taken the eye off the ball and allowed Union Street to fall into a sorry state of deterioration that is driving businesses and visitors away from the area.
“Traders who have remained loyal to Union Street throughout the delayed improvement works are paying the price for the council’s neglect of our city centre.
“The council needs to get its house in order, ensure no more delays occur to the redevelopment of Union Street.”
‘Crippling’ business rates for Union Street traders ‘no longer fit for purpose’
And the Tory added that the SNP’s “crippling” business rates regime was only compounding the trouble.
The Scottish Conservatives shared the figures only weeks after Aberdeen traders were dealt a heavy blow — as the Court of Session threw out their challenge against the city centre bus gates.
Aberdeen City Council successfully defended the controversial roads shakeup, which it put in place without prior consultation with the public or affected businesses.
Bob Keiller, the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce chairman who is leading the Our Union Street taskforce, admits there is still a “long way to go” before the Granite Mile’s prospects are sparkling.
The business heavyweight, who is working for free as he looks to plot out the high street renaissance, also blasted a business rates regime “no longer fit for purpose”.
“It unfairly punishes the hospitality industry, discourages businesses from having town and city centre premises and gives unfair advantages to online shopping providers,” he said.
Taskforce chief: Aberdeen City Council does ‘many good things for the city centre, but…’
The CBE is more positive about “many good things” Aberdeen City Council does, including the daily city centre litter picking and the empty unit grants that have helped to fill up shops since the 2024-25 figures we are reporting today.
He added: “The investment in Union Street will be a great improvement. I do, however, share some of Liam’s frustrations.
“Having bus gates, the LEZ and a major construction project (which has taken far longer than planned) have all contributed to the challenges for city centre operators.
“We still have a long way to go.”
What does Aberdeen City Council say to the Union Street concerns?
Co-leader of Aberdeen City Council Christian Allard recycled his SNP group’s administration with the Lib Dems well-rehearsed slogan: “We are working to make Aberdeen city centre an even better place for people to live, work, spend time, and do business.”
He pointed to the empty shop grant scheme, rates relief for those taking over vacant units, and cash they have put up for repairs to heritage buildings on the Granite Mile.
Mr Allard also highlighted the “exciting” calendar of events for 2026, namely Spectra and Nuart, aimed at bringing people into Aberdeen city centre.
Hundreds of thousands came for the Tall Ships weekend in the summer.
He added: “Under our leadership, Aberdeen City Council is investing around £100m in the city centre, to make it a key destination for people.
“The council is building the new market at the Green, undertaking structural and environmental improvements along the central section of Union Street, and work is set to start soon on transforming the Castlegate.”
On the business rates complaints, a spokesman said the Scottish Government boasts a “strong record of delivering a generous non-domestic rates package”.
In 2025-26, that includes a relief package worth an estimated £730m and “the most generous small business rates relief in the UK”.
Business rates and further relief will be set out in the Scottish budget in January.
[Source: Press and Journal]
