Ayrshire community councillor quits over Carbuncle bust up
March 2 2012
Ronnie Andrew, treasurer of Fenwick Community Council, registered his frustration at official approval for a controversial scheme to build 400 homes in his village by posting the gong (and a sharply worded rebuke) to Young.
In it Andrew wrote that Young should tell three other councillors, who voted in favour of Mansell Homes development, to “stick the Plook award where the sun doesn’t shine”.
Recalling the ensuing fallout Andrew said: “At the next community council meeting the Provost makes a grand show of producing the Plook trophy and proceeds to read out the letter in an effort to embarrass me.
“It didn’t work. She only embarrassed herself and the assembled company by shouting out this letter as though it were some sort of damning evidence. People were bemused.
“I didn’t care that other members of the community council knew what I’d written – I’ve said worse to their faces.”
Young, who voted against the proposals but was outvoted by colleagues, gave her own recollection of events to the Kilmarnock Standard: “At no point did I shout, I simply read out the note. I wasn’t personally offended by the letter but I felt other people mentioned in it had a right to know what was being said about them.”
6 Comments
#1 Posted by is this it on 2 Mar 2012 at 12:58 PM
'Carbuncle Bust Up' - with a headline like that the Sunday Sun might even be interested!...
#2 Posted by Soothing Balm on 2 Mar 2012 at 16:56 PM
Tetchy! Tetchy! So the Provost wasn't offended but felt strongly enough to attend the CC meeting to 'grass-up' the CC treasurer? Great stuff! This what the Carbuncle is all about. Councils spitting the dummy out and refusing the award; Councils accepting the award and demonising the locals who got them the award; Councils getting into a hissy-fit 'cause they haven't got a scooby how to make the best of the publicity. I love it! Well done to John and the team for creating another stushie to be proud of. What council's next?
#3 Posted by local on 9 Mar 2012 at 11:58 AM
so the resignation of a hard working CC member is a good result for Urban Realm? Somewhere along the way I think Urban Realm and the carbuncles has lost its way. There is nothing funny about a local member of the community feeling so strongly about the lack of merit for this award that he has to resign. Andrew will be a loss to the Community Council and Urban Realm should take a serious look at itself as this saga has left them looking like a joke.
#4 Posted by Soothing Balm on 9 Mar 2012 at 12:21 PM
No, quite the reverse, 'local'.
The fact that Andrew has resigned shows the integrity of the man. He's not the one who should have gone. The Carbuncle focuses attention on those small minded individuals who populate too many of our local councils. Self-serving or Party pawns, too many of those councillors do not act in the best interests of the wider community. If you are a true supporter of Mr Andrew, encourage him to stand at the upcoming local elections when you will be given the opportunity to depose the 3 errant councillors. Will you get behind your man?
The fact that Andrew has resigned shows the integrity of the man. He's not the one who should have gone. The Carbuncle focuses attention on those small minded individuals who populate too many of our local councils. Self-serving or Party pawns, too many of those councillors do not act in the best interests of the wider community. If you are a true supporter of Mr Andrew, encourage him to stand at the upcoming local elections when you will be given the opportunity to depose the 3 errant councillors. Will you get behind your man?
#5 Posted by Local on 11 Mar 2012 at 18:55 PM
"balm", sorry I seem to have misunderstood the article. To be fair to myself the article it's not very clear on what has actually happened. I would fully support Andrew in his future endeavours.
#6 Posted by Local on 11 Mar 2012 at 19:27 PM
"balm", sorry I seem to have misunderstood the article. To be fair to myself the article it's not very clear on what has actually happened. I would fully support Andrew in his future endeavours.
Post your comments
Read next: Alan Pert resigns as Strathclyde tutor
Read previous: Majority back Aberdeen City Garden plan
Back to March 2012
Like us on Facebook
Become a fan and share
News Archive
Search News
Features & Reports
For more information from the industry visit our Features & Reports section.