Being nominated for a national award is normally regarded as a good thing.
However, there was relief all round yesterday when two Fife towns were overlooked for a Scottish title.
Leven and Lochgelly had been vying for the dishonour of being named the most dismal town in the country after being shortlisted for the notorious Plook on the Plinth Carbuncle award.
As the dubious accolade was awarded to Aberdeen for a series of planning troubles and “flimsy” buildings, there was still some bemusement in Fife as to why their towns were even nominated.
Provost and footballing legend Jim Leishman was brought up in Lochgelly and hailed it as a great place.
“I can’t understand why it was ever nominated in the first place,” he said.
“I grew up there and I’m not ashamed to have grown up there.
“There’s a great community and it’s right next to the beautiful Gelly Loch and Lochore Meadows. It’s super.”
Councillor Ian Chisholm added: “This is a prize I’m delighted not to have won.
“That’s the second nomination we’ve had for this and I hope it’s the last because Lochgelly is on the up.”
Leven area chairman Tom Adams said: “I don’t want to see it going anywhere because it’s a stupid award but I’m very glad we didn’t get it.
“It would have killed everything we’re trying to do for this area and given those trying to knock the town an excuse to continue.”
Councillor Ally Hunter agreed, saying: “This is bad news for Aberdeen but great for us. There is so much good work going on to improve the area and that’s a long-term thing.”
The Plook on the Plinth award was established by Urban Realm magazine in 2000 to provoke debate but has often caused outrage in the nominated towns.
Leven was nominated by local historian Eric Eunson, who slammed it as a “grim, post-industrial wasteland”.
He talked of violent pubs, rundown infrastructure and skeletal public services and said the “dying” town centre was haunted by aggressive beggars.
Lochgelly was put forward by an anonymous resident who bemoaned deprivation rates, high numbers of teenage pregnancies and multiple wind-farm developments.
Urban Realm editor John Glenday said Aberdeen had won as it is “the poor relation of Scottish cities”.
He said: “It has been left behind by the likes of Dundee, which has made huge strides to transform its waterfront.
“The time to turn things around is now. In a few years’ time it may well be too late.”