Save Café 52: Steve's Fight for Justice

Café 52 has been on the Green for nearly 30 years. The outdoor terrace has developed over time and now looks wonderful. It fulfils all relevant planning policies and continually enhances the historic Green, the true heart of the city.

Planners have enthusiastically supported all planning applications with the same support from the roads department as consultees.

In 2023 the Scottish government granted permanent planning permission for the beautiful, glazed pavilion.

Aberdeen’s residents have supported Café 52 throughout its 29 years in business and rallied massive support for the glazed pavilion and the continuation of the shepherd’s hut.

Proprietor Steve Bothwell uses his initiative constantly to enhance the rest of the Green by maintaining the wider area, making improvements, planting trees and flowers, doing repairs and introducing festive enhancements at his own cost.

Café 52’s pavilion and shepherd’s hut is enjoyed by an enormous variety of people especially the elderly who love the comfort of the light filled space.

Café 52 is a place of joy and celebration.

Neale Burrows from the roads department of Aberdeen City Council now claims the pavilion and shepherd’s hut is illegal and has been placed on the pedestrianized Green to deliberately cause an obstruction.

I have been issued with a formal notice to bulldoze both the Pavilion and Shepherd’s hut by the 31st May 2024. And if I don’t do it, Aberdeen City Council will and bill me for it.

It’s a determined effort from the local authority and its corporate partners to erase Café 52 from the history books.

I would like to make a plea to everyone reading this to help me fund a legal team to stop this happening. If they can destroy a much-loved business like Café 52 they wont think twice about doing it to others.

Thanks for reading.

Kindest regards,

Steve Bothwell.