big plan for beach development

Boarding houses and hotels, a mile-long lido, a theatre, boarding houses, hotels and underground car parks are features of a plan for the development of Aberdeen Beach. The plan was released yesterday after being discussed by the Plans and Town Planning Committee. The scheme, which has yet to be presented to other Town Council committees, proposes many new buildings, roads and attractions. The consultants' proposals include : Concert hall and theatre; Aquarium; Underground car parks with connecting pedestrian subways; Blocks of flats, luxury flats, terraced cottages, boarding houses and hotels; miniature railway on the promenade and boating lake; private "country club" at the Bridge of Don; additional golf courses and sports centres; many trees and shrubs to enhance the entire seafront.

The beach will be divided into an all-the-year-round main centre, where its attractions are meantime, and a secondary centre, to the north, which will be open only in summer. The main centre will be defined by the Broad Hill, a new general frontage line of the gas works, and a new east-west road, roughly where the Beach Pavilion stands. The secondary centre will be between the main centre and the Bridge of Don, linked by a range of beach huts and chalets, and punctuated by small sub-centres catering for cigarettes and icecream. Removal of the gas works was considered, but, no suitable site being available, the plan provides for enclosing the works on its north and east by buildings - for offices, laboratories and perhaps flats for those residing at the works - tall enough to form a screen. North of the Boulevard approach, the area is zoned for residential use, and it is suggested that the high residential density desired would be achieved by large blocks of flats of varying height. North of the Broad Hill, which will remain for walking and picnicking, to Linksfield Road, a continuous facade of boarding houses, at least one hotel and several shops is proposed.

HOTELS AND SHOPS North of Linksfield Road a frontage of blocks of "flat-boarding houses" for occupation through the year, but with additional bedrooms and bathrooms for letting to seasonal visitors, is suggested, and north of a sports centre in the Linksfield area a restaurant, shops, and a large hotel are planned. A corner site to the north of School Road is allocated for luxury flats and terraced cottages. The present cricket pitches near the Broad Hill will be used for tennis, bowls and a games area for children, the parklands of Seaton estate being considered more suitable for cricket. With the aim to keep sports in one area, near Linksfield Stadium, two stadiums are included in that development. Between them they would be sufficient to provide ground for the Aberdeen Football Club, a running track and sports forum, dog-racing, football, rugby and hockey, in addition to championship tennis courts, badminton courts, boxing arena, and a large skating rink.

Boating Lake in Plan for Beach At the main centre, built out beyond the water's edge on a promentory, will be a concert hall, intended also for conferences, and an indoor swimming pool, displacing the existing bathing station. On the middle level of this three-level section will be an aquarium, it's roof forming a seaward extension of the top level, from which, through clear glass, it will be possible to watch the fish. There will also be a miniature railway station. In the secondary centre will be a large boating lake, and to the north a lido, with a swimming pool suitable for championship events. A peninsula into the lake will house a cafe.

For Pierrot Shows There will also be an open-air theatre for pierrot shows or band performances, with a removable top and possibly glass sides, to permit use in bad weather. A restaurant is also suggested. An artificial foreshore, or low-level promenade, will contain shelters, refreshment rooms and beach attendants' kiosks. From the centre of the terrace a lightly-constructed causeway will provide a staging for speed launch and rowing boat trips. An eighteen-hole golf course or an eighteen-hole and nine-hole course on East Seaton lands and extending to King Street is envisaged. There will be a golf clubhouse at School Road, with a pitching and putting course. There will be two main approaches to the Beach, one along the Boulevard, which had been started when war broke out. A new northern approach will follow School Road.

New Roads From the south the approach will fall from the harbour, forming an outer ring skirting Sandilands Chemical Works and the gas works and rising over the Boulevard by a bridge. From King Street opposite Lord Hay's Road, a dual carriageway will join from the esplanade and provide a connecting link between the beach-lands and Seaton estate, which it is anticipated will become one of the city's main parks. In subsidiary approaches, a new road will replace Park Street and the southern end of Park Road. Linksfield Road will be widened and have an open, tree-lined setting. The report on the plan was submitted by the consultants, Messrs W. Dobson Chapman and Partners.

Source : Aberdeen Press & Journal Friday 29th April, 1949