An Aberdeen business owner seeking to scrap a set of controversial bus gates has been defeated at the Court of Session.
On Tuesday, the Court ruled that Aberdeen City Council had the power to make a traffic regulation order barring cars from parts of three streets in the city centre.
A group of Granite City residents led by retail stalwart Norman Esslemont had raised more than £65,000 in a bid to overturn the decision, which first went into effect in August 2023.
However, following a hearing in early November, Lord Pentland of the Court has ruled that the appeal had ‘no merit’ on any grounds.
This is a major blow for city centre businesses, who have contended that the rules have led to a decline in footfall.
Had the Court ruled in the traders’ favour, the bus gates would have been taken down and the council would have been forced to repay all fines assessed since January 2025.
Speaking to the Press and Journal following the decision, Esslemont said: “Even though we have lost the legal argument, I believe that the case has exposed the very serious shortcomings in the council’s decision-making process.
“The people of Aberdeen were right to stand up to the council on an issue that has caused such frustration across the city.”
The Scottish Conservatives have hit out at the decision, with North East MSP Liam Kerr saying the city had been ‘crippled’ by an ‘out of touch’ council.
He added: “While the council may breathe a sigh of relief at this verdict, the true victims of all this are the businesses of Aberdeen, which are being suffocated by these ludicrous measures.
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“The public deserve an enormous amount of credit for coming together to raise funds for this case, which should be the catalyst for these draconian restrictions to be axed once and for all.
However, a spokesperson for the council said: “Following the Court of Session’s decision, we look forward to continuing to work with businesses and communities to make the city centre an even better place to live, work, invest, and visit.”
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