Aberdeen City Council said the decision to proceed and establish a budget for the project will be made at the council’s budget meeting on March 5.

Initially priced at £22 million, the Union Terrace Gardens development was planned to be completed by July, but that has been pushed back to summer 2020.

The tender period for bids to deliver the project was extended in November after only one potential bidder came forward.

Douglas Lumsden, co-leader of the council, said: “As the administration has said for some time now, the Union Terrace Gardens upgrade remains a priority and the decision to proceed and establish a budget will be made at the council’s budget meeting on March 5.

“The preferred contractor will have their tender in with a price. It will be up to each individual group to see whether they go ahead with it or not. Then it would go back to the contractor to award the tender.”

LDA Design unveiled its designs for the park in 2016, which include water features, a golden “halo” suspended above the central grass area, shops and cafes in the arches and community gardens.

The plans were granted final approval by the local authority’s planning committee in March last year.