Wood's scheme

There are many disturbing issues surrounding Sir Ian Wood's plans for Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen, not the least being the staggering gap of £100 million between his proposed contribution of £50m and the final anticipated cost of this vainglorious project (your report, 13 April).

In support of it, 50 leading figures in the Aberdeen business community last week sent a letter to Aberdeen City Council with the demand that it vote for the project but, since not one of them has offered to contribute funds of their own towards it, the presumption must be that they expect the huge cost differential to be met from the public purse.

It is of extreme concern that Sue Bruce, the chief executive brought in by Aberdeen City Council to control its spending, is proposing that elected representatives give the project a green light.

This, we are told, is contingent upon (among other things) Sir Ian Wood paying 200,000 towards the cost of an international architectural design competition for the project. Funding to match this is likely to come via Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future, thereby adding another 200,000 to the 300,000 of public money the organisation has already spent on a public consultation that produced a majority vote against the project.

In Scotland there is a long and embarrassing history of politicians and others using architectural competitions as both a means of trying to resolve political differences and as a marketing vehicle to raise funding for projects. Rarely has either stratagem proved to be successful.

Before Aberdeen's councillors vote on this matter, the Scottish Government should confirm to the council that public money for this project will not be available and that the financial gap must be filled by the private sector.

In addition, its agency, Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS), needs to speak out against the proposed misuse of the architectural competition system.

And lastly, the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) needs to publicly advise its members against participation in this abuse of process.

Without such clear statements, democracy in modern Scotland will very evidently be at the mercy of an unelected plutocracy and a far cry from the new political landscape currently being touted.

PETER WILSON, BSC (HONS), DIP ARCH, ARB

Campbell's Close

Edinburgh