Motherwell, Glenrothes and New Cummnock have emerged as the front-runners in this year’s Carbuncle Awards, the prize that identifies Scotland’s most dismal town. Members of the public are now invited to help decide where the trophy – dubbed the Plook-on-the-Plinth – ultimately goes.CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE
In all, 10 towns were featured on a long-list of potential recipients after an initial round of online voting. Pre-judging cut this to a shortlist of three towns which were then visited by our panel of experts.
Explained Gordon Young, editor of Prospect magazine and www.architecturescotland.co.uk, which runs the Carbuncles: “A primary criteria of the Carbuncles is that the towns shortlisted must have real potential, which local leaders for one reason or another are failing to exploit.
“We are not interested in simply criticising deprived areas which are dismal through no fault of their own. We believe the truly depressing places are the ones which could be great, but are stifled by a lack of imagination, creativity and passion.”
The point of the Carbuncles is to examine where planners, policy makers and architects have failed, so similar mistakes can be prevented in the future. With this in mind Prospect and www.architecturescotland.co.uk will organise a conference this Spring where those involved in the building design process will be given a chance to debate specific challenges faced by the liked of New Cummnock, Mortherwell and Glenrothes. In additions architects and planners will put forward suggestions on how these communities might be better served.
Last year the Carbuncles were won by Coatbridge, however a change of rules this year means that the same recipient cannot win twice.
This year’s winners will be announced on Thursday, 29 January.
― the worst poster on ilx fwiw (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 25 January 2009 20:15 (seventeen years ago)