The outline of a masterplan for Aberdeen city centre has been unveiled to the City Centre Regeneration Board.

It is understood the local authority has agreed to underwrite the cost of the City Centre Masterplan and Delivery Programme - for which external funding, including from the private sector, will be sought - up to the value of £750,000.

A procurement brief, drawn up to provide a clear vision of the city's future addresses the issues raised in the Robert Gordon University paper Regenerating Aberdeen: A Vision for a Thriving and Vibrant City Centre.

In a statement from the Council, the masterplan and delivery programme will take existing projects, including Marischal Square, the Art Gallery extension and a variety of other committed projects, into account and seek to integrate them into a high-quality urban environment.

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It will also address what is missing from a successful city centre.

In addition, the Board supported recommendations to appoint a multi-disciplinary team, demonstrating a design-led approach with a detailed understanding of access and movement, infrastructure, market demand, and delivery to work with the council and partners to produce the masterplan and a robust, co-ordinated delivery programme for the city centre.

It is expected that the masterplan and delivery programme will take a minimum of nine months to prepare, and bidders will be asked to submit proposals for completing the masterplan and delivery programme in six, nine or 12 months.

Marie Boulton, Deputy Council Leader and City Centre Regeneration Board Chair, said: "The procurement of a masterplan and delivery programme for the city centre is an absolutely crucial piece of work. It is important that we get it underway as soon as possible so that we can clearly identify what the city centre needs and how we can achieve it.

"All Board members were very keen to get this work underway as soon as practically possible and unanimously agreed to request that the matter, which had been due to go before Full Council next month, should be fast-tracked and considered instead by the Urgent Business Committee.

"I am delighted that this request has been so readily agreed to, saving three weeks of delay in getting this work underway."

(JP/MH)