An Aberdeen councillor who accused the council of treating Cove as a “dumping ground” has been called on to step down from the ruling administration.
Earlier this week, the city council’s planning development management committee backed plans to create a travellers’ halting site in Cove.
At the meeting, Cove councillor and committee vice-convener Andrew Finlayson accused the authority of treating the area as a “dumping ground”.
But yesterday the SNP opposition group said if Mr Finlayson felt strongly enough to criticise his own administration, he should step down.
Group leader Graham Dickson said: “If Councillor Finlayson remains within the administration then his criticism will rightly be seen as empty and a deflection of the policies that he has been pursuing as part of the administration.
“For Councillor Finlayson to continue to help to prop up an administration that he describes as a bully is disgraceful and he cannot rail against the actions of the administration and be a part of the administration.”
However Mr Finlayson dismissed the SNP’s calls, and defended the comments he made at the meeting.
He said: “I make no apology for putting the community I was elected to represent first, this is something I have always done and will continue to do on behalf of local people.
“If any other councillor even thought to attend the regular meeting of the Cove Community Council they would hear at first hand the concerns, frustrations and feelings of the local community.
“My criticism at committee was not levelled at one party or at one administration but at the systemic failure of the council to listen to the people of Cove and for that Graham Dickson and his party colleagues have their share of the blame.”