ABERDEEN City Council backing plans to turn its most deprived community’s last remaining green space into an Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) was not unlawful, Scotland’s highest court said today.

Friends of St Fittick’s Park had petitioned the Court of Session, arguing that the council’s September 2023 decision allowing ETZ to turn the park over for industrial use meant it should have carried out an equalities impact assessment. It suggested their failure to do so rendered the decision unlawful.

Lord Douglas Farley has refused the petition, however, accepting the council’s argument that its decision was to facilitate data collection.

He said: “Logically, the ingathering of such information needed to take place before any impact assessment could be carried out.”

ETZ welcomed the judgement while Aberdeen City Council “noted”  the outcome.

Friends of St Fittick’s Park’s Richard Caie said: “We are dismayed but not discouraged.

“We will continue to oppose the industrialisation of the community’s beloved park by all legal means.

“As a small group of volunteers we are proud of our efforts so far and unlike ETZ Ltd, we do not have tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to promote a big PR campaign.”