Still a boom town of tough optimists

Published on Friday 16 February 2007 02:19

EVER since oil began pumping out of the North Sea in 1969, Aberdeen has been regarded as the engine room of the Scottish economy, if not the UK's.

Black gold put Aberdeen on the global map, and with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, most of its 210,000 inhabitants continue to enjoy the fruits of that success.

But a spectre looms over this city, which has already survived the demise of an offshore industry. What will happen when the oil runs out?

On a blustery winter's afternoon yesterday, Aberdonians embodied the tough optimism you would expect from inhabitants of the Granite City.

Graham Fowler, 47, a self-employed picture framer from Aberdeen, believes the city's prospects are generally healthy, with the continuing strength of the oil industry likely to sustain economic success for many years to come. "The oil industry has picked this city up and there's still lots of oil in the North Sea," he says. "It's a growing city and it's a very nice place to live."

One issue that has long been a bugbear in Aberdeen is the perception that the city, despite being one of the main generators of national wealth, is left on the outside when it comes to influence.

Mr Fowler agrees: "Aberdeen doesn't get as much attention as it should because it's quite peripheral geographically. Edinburgh and Glasgow are where the power is. That hasn't changed."

Speak to most residents in Aberdeen, however, and political power is not at the top of their wish-list. There are more immediate problems, such as tackling the drugs problem, antisocial behaviour and the ageing transportation infrastructure.

The city has been blighted by drugs since gangs made rich profits by pushing heroin in the 1980s. The drug problem has been accompanied with an overall decline in the quality of the city centre, according to Richard Dike, 60, of Monymusk.

"I think the city centre has deteriorated greatly in the last ten years - there is rubbish on the streets, the standard of the shops has dropped and we have one of the worst drug problems in Europe," he says.

According to the SNP, Aberdeen will act as a massive and vital pump - lifeline - for an independent Scotland. But what you find in Aberdeen is mixed feelings over whether such a plan is feasible.

Kevin Shannon, 44, of Aberdeen, says: "Much of the oil work is contracted to England. What's going to happen, are we just going to take all those contracts back? It's totally unrealistic".

George Smart, of Banchory, sympathises with the nationalist point of view, but believes the UK works well for Scotland.

"To some extent I can see where they're coming from. There is the old issue about oil revenues going south of the Border. But I have a daughter living in England, so I have to watch what I say. I'm quite content with being part of the UK."

The 62-year-old works for a successful oil services company, Petrofac, which employs about 1,000 people offshore and in the city. He points out that companies like his own are prospering and growing, helped in part by high oil prices which are continuing to attract millions of pounds of inward investment, and the fact that indigenous businesses now have a firm foot in the global energy industry, so are not dependent on the oil continuing to flow out of the North Sea.

"There's no reason to be too gloomy about the future. Aberdeen has changed a lot over the years, and is continuing to change," he says.

Like most other parts of Scotland, Aberdeen and the rest of the North-east are enjoying a boom in the housing market, with prices rocketing 27 per cent in the last year.

But soaring house prices make it increasingly difficult for young people to set out on their own. Carla Zambonini, 20, a recruitment manager for an oil company, has witnessed at first hand the growth of the oil industry, and also the complications brought by a burgeoning middle class.

"If you don't work in the oil and gas industry, you can't get a house here," she says. "All the wealth has created a false economy and a whole lot of people are left out. It's a huge problem at the moment with nurses who are finding it difficult to live and work here and, God knows, we need them."

Multinational oil companies have also made Aberdeen a diverse and cosmopolitan city. Nnadozie Nwogbe, 17, was born in Nigeria but has spent most of his life in the Netherlands. Three years ago he moved to Aberdeen with his oil executive father.

"Aberdeen is my home and I'll probably move back here after university," he says. "I find it is very accepting of minorities. Sometimes outside the city there are problems, but there are people in Aberdeen from all over the world, so people are used to the diversity".

• Tomorrow: meet our reporters in the Overgate Centre, Dundee, 11:30am-3pm.

'Most Scots don't seem to care'

VIEW FROM THE STREET

"There are young people being killed on our roads every week. It's tragic. People need to learn to slow down on the roads. I also think the idea of road tolls is wrong. We already pay road tax."

Richard Grant, 81, Aberdeen

"What Aberdeen needs is more community centres. There just isn't enough for the kids to do."

Victoria McDonald, 19, Aberdeen

"Scotland would make a good independent country but I'm not really bothered either way. I don't think the SNP are the right people to lead us."

Lee Oliver, 32, Aberdeen

"Aberdeen is fine and all this talk about independence is fine, but there's still the question - after the oil goes, what hope is there? We're a one-trick pony in Aberdeen."

Gavin Lavery, 17

"It's just very difficult for people to get on to the property ladder. If there was one thing I'd like the government to do, it's to raise the threshold for stamp duty for first-time buyers. Where I live, traffic is really bad and it's getting worse. That also needs to be addressed."

Julia Bruce, 36, financial adviser, Elrick

"People are talking about how the English are a threat to our identity and we need to be independent, but a greater threat to the identity of this city and our culture is the masses of new buildings replacing old heritage sites."

Chris Mitchell, 57

"It is well past time for independence. We are thirty years late. Had we been independent thirty years ago, the oil money would have stayed in Scotland. But just because we are late doesn't mean we've missed the boat. Aberdeen would be far better off in an independent Scotland."

John Robertson, 53, Banchory

"I moved here from Texas four years ago. I don't really understand why there is all this talk of independence. Most Scots I talk to don't seem to care. Aberdeen is a very international city and I like the people here."

Cliff Gerhart, 56

"We need an independent Scotland because we need a Scottish fishing minister who will fight only for Scotland and not for the whole of the UK. The union has killed Scottish fishing."

Allan Morgan, 58, Peterhead

"I am Scottish but I lived in South Africa and Nigeria because my father is in the oil industry. What I love in Aberdeen is that it's held on to its Scottish heritage. You see kilts, haggis and marching bands everywhere."

Joanna Mortimer, 20

The Scotland 300: Nationhood Debate tour reached Aberdeen yesterday - and today moves on to Dundee. Next week, we are in Montrose and Alloa as our reporters travel around Scotland, finding out what people think about their nation 300 years after the Act of Union. Alongside the road trip, there are eight setpiece debates, the next at the Corn Exchange in Cupar, Fife, on Thursday next week. The event is almost sold out. To get tickets, e-mail [e-mail] or write to Nationhood Tickets, The Scotsman, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS.