The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
RGU ends parking zone deal as staff face job cuts threat
Robert Gordon University (RGU) higher-ups have told staff at risk of losing their jobs that paying to control parking at Garthdee is not a spending priority.
A leaked email seen by The Press and Journal attempts to quell concerns at the crisis-hit campus.
It comes as around 200 staff face losing their jobs as bosses launch an £18 million savings drive.
Amid the financial strife, RGU bosses have provoked fury in surrounding Garthdee by pulling out of a deal with the council to cover the cost of a controlled parking zone.
The message, sent by Nick Fyfe, who is viceprincipal for research and community engagement, refers to “recent media attention” surrounding the controversial move.
As the university severs ties, residents could face paying for permits to park outside their homes or face a free-for-all if the zone is scrapped.
RGU currently pays the council to enforce rules on the surrounding streets.
Mr Fyfe explained to the workforce why the university is backing out of the deal – and suggested hard-pressed management won’t be swayed.
The email said: “Given our current financial position and the challenging yet necessary actions we are having to take to maintain the longterm financially sustainability of the university, we are not in a position to continue a voluntary contribution to meet the costs of managing the administration of the CPZ.
“It is competing with many other savings options.”
Mr Fyfe said RGU has been in talks with Garthdee Community Council (GCC) and Aberdeen City Council and “look forward to continuing to work with the local community”.
The Indeed.com website shows that the roughly £40,000 annual cost of the zone is almost equivalent to the average salary of a lecturer at RGU.
But RGU would not be drawn on the specific
“savings options” being prized over continuing the Garthdee parking deal.
Community leaders have stressed that they “completely oppose the university’s decision in the strongest possible terms”.
The community council described the email sent to staff as “deeply disappointing”, as it had been hoping to negotiate a change of heart.
The community council said: “At every stage of the process, GCC has sought to engage with RGU in good faith whilst defending the best interests of the community.”
A spokesman for the university explained that more talks are set to take place this week.
This will “allow all parties to set out their concerns and explore all options for collectively moving forward”.