Councillor Laurie Bidwell has thrown his weight behind a public campaign designed to oppose proposed boundary changes to Broughty Ferry.
As part of a strongly-worded appeal to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland (LGBCS), Mr Bidwell cites historic and educational reasons as to why West Ferry should not be classed as a separate boundary area from the rest of the town.
In May Dundee City Council agreed with a boundary commission recommendation that West Ferry should join the East End ward.
The proposal is designed to ensure that residents receive equitable representation by councillors and reflects the growth of Broughty Ferry.
However, the potential change has caused outrage among residents, who fear losing community ties and control of planning regulations.
More than 300 people turned out to a meeting of Broughty Ferry Community Council to discuss the proposal.
A record number of objections have also been submitted to the LGBCS.
Mr Bidwell has now joined the campaign and called on the commission to reconsider its proposal and allow Broughty Ferry to remain as one.
“Almost without exception residents from West Ferry were hostile to the proposals,” the Labour councillor said.
“Almost without exception residents from other parts of the Ferry were supportive of retaining the entire Ferry ward and not having West Ferry pruned off or any other part of their ward subsumed into another ward.
“I am writing to add my weight to many hundreds of my constituents who attended a public meeting on Tuesday September 1 and the regular October meeting of Broughty Ferry Community Council, as well as those that have already submitted written representations.
“The former meeting was the largest about a local issue in the Ferry during my eight years as a city councillor.
“The latter meeting was the largest public attendance at an ordinary meeting of the community council for many years.
“The identity of the Ferry is strongly felt, not only by residents born and bred in the Ferry but also by those residents like me that have moved to the city and made their home in Broughty Ferry.
“I think there is now overwhelming evidence of a strongly-held consensus among my constituents that the Ferry ward should retain its existing boundaries.”
During the recent public meeting Mr Bidwell apologised for failing to oppose the LGBCS’s recommendations when they came before the city council.
The public consultation on the matter is now closed and the boundary commission is considering all responses received.