The works at Links Road started today when a section of Links Road from Cotton Street to the middle of the Beach Boulevard will be closed north-bound between The Esplanade and Links Road.

A one-way system will be maintained (northwards) on Links Road between Codonas and Cotton Street to facilitate buses on this route until Monday 5 August, when the road will be fully closed between the Queens Links Retail Park and the Beach Boulevard. This diversion will be for seven weeks until 20 September. The Links Road full closure is to facilitate the next stage of works.

The utility diversion work is taking place in stages from Broad Hill round Links Road towards the Queens Links. This latest stage allow gas main and electrical supplies to be diverted and facilitate works for the beach park and events park to progress.

The diversion for the road closure is via the Justice Port roundabout, Commerce Street, Regent Quay, and Wellington Street. Access to the Beach Boulevard Retail Park (which includes Asda supermarket), the Queens Links Retail Park and Codonas will also continue via Wellington Street. There is signage for motorists heading south from Bridge of Don to go via The Esplanade. Motorists should also remember there is a one-way in operation from north to south on the Esplanade.

The playpark was given planning permission in December 2023 along with other amenities as part of a beach park and events park with supporting blue badge parking, as part of the City Centre and Beach Masterplan (CCBMP) which is designed to reinvigorate the areas culturally and economically, attracting people to spend time in them.

This first phase of works would upgrade the green spaces which already attract visitors to the area while providing a higher quality environment and broadening the range of activities which can be enjoyed at the beach.

They include:

• The beach park area, at the south end of the site, will focus on a variety of landscaped play and sports areas with built structures including a gateway building, a hub building, two canopies, and a play structure called The Rope Factory;
• The car park and junction will be from Links Road and would provide dedicated blue badge parking spaces to the beach park area;
• The events park, at the Beach Ballroom end of the site, will have several structures including a canopy and an amphitheatre building.

There will also be additional public realm and landscaping at the site which will be covered under Permitted Development.

The CCBMP is designed to capitalise on the built and natural assets of the area which is a tourism priority in its own right and will continue to be in demand as people seek safe, outdoor, wildlife, and active experiences. The beach area is also an intrinsic component of the Aberdeen Coastal Trail, and the wide variety of tourism offer that includes nature, golf, maritime history, and dolphin watching.

Elsewhere in the city, a set of colourful and informative hoarding panels are being installed as part of works upgrading a section of the main thoroughfare of Union Street.

The construction works to the Union Street Central area – between the Market Street and Bridge Street junctions – will make it more attractive and vibrant while promoting walking and cycling as part of the City Centre and Beach Masterplan. The works include new pavements with locally sourced granite, a road surface, and cycle lanes, and will help to create a plaza entrance to the new market building.

During the works, access will continue to all shops and businesses for pedestrians, as well as access for delivery vehicles.

The hoarding panels being installed on the hoarding around the construction site will have information about the major works to the area, lists of shops and businesses as part of the Open for Business campaign, locations of taxi ranks and bus stops, how the works relate to the new market building, promotion for the Art Gallery and Provost Skene’s House, information about attractions in the city centre and further around Aberdeen, and also promote Dave and Sam, a pair of friendly seagulls created by schoolchildren.

Aberdeen City Council co-leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “The colourful hoarding panels will add to the Open for Business campaign aimed to show people that the traders in Union Street Central are open while the construction works are ongoing.

“The new high-quality streetscaping for Union Street Central is the next step to make Aberdeen’s city centre a great destination for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Aberdeen City Council co-leader Councillor Christian Allard said: “At 200 years old, Union Street is due a makeover which will help to attract people to the area and spend money with local businesses.

“This investment in Union Street Central, the new market building, and other initiatives such as the Council’s £1million Empty Shops Grant Scheme, all have key roles in creating a vibrant and exciting city centre and the hoarding panels will help locals and visitors during the construction works.”

The design for the hoarding panels were created in-house by Aberdeen City Council and local signage company Compass Print has manufactured and is installing them. Additional panels will be added in the coming months promoting events such as the Tall Ships. They come after Open for Business panels were recently installed on the overhead wires on that section of Union Street.

The construction works, which are being carried out by Morrison Construction in parallel to the works being carried out at the new market building, will move east to west (from Market Street to Bridge Street). The area is being split into three sections of 100m each, with each phase of work starting in the first 100m on east side (closest to Market Street) before moving on to the second section and then the third (closest to Bridge Street).

The works are due to be completed, depending on what is uncovered by utility companies, weather, and world-wide supply-chain availability of materials, in autumn 2025.

The City Council is to receive £20m from the UK Levelling Up Fund which will be used towards the development of Union Street Central and the new market building.