Sir Ian deserves more recognition

SIR, – Councillor Marie Boulton sometimes gives me cause to catch my breath but her comments (P&J, March 16) really took the cake. She praised Sir Ian Wood for being the “catalyst" for the council's project to improve Union Terrace Gardens, pictured, after his scheme, involving a donation of £50million, was rejected in 2012.

Councillor Boulton, forgetting it was Sir Ian's idea in the first place and left to its own devices the council would have done nothing at all, “was delighted that the business case was approved and grateful to Sir Ian Wood for providing the initial catalyst for the transformational project". One of the meanings of “catalyst” is “something or someone that helps bring about a change". I believe Sir Ian deserves more recognition than merely being a catalyst. It was only his actions and the public furore they raised that led to the embarrassment of the council and forced them to finally do something about the gardens some five years later. Mrs Boulton had referred to Sir Ian's project being rejected in 2012.

However she failed to mention that she was instrumental in raising an alternative motion, when the matter was being discussed in council, which led to Sir Ian's project being turned down in favour of a basket of improvement works to the art gallery and Music Hall. George Morrison, Overton Circle, Dyce