THE organisers of the Carbuncle Awards have been branded ‘sneering and snobbish’ after Coatbridge made it onto the short list despite favourites Paisley escaping the final six. Coatbridge could be crowned Scotland’s most dismal town next week after a panel of judges deemed it miserable enough to reach the finals. But the short list for the not-so-prestigious Plook on the Plinth category does not include Paisley, which received 29 nominations, compared with Coatbridge’s 17. And despite Cumbernauld receiving no nominations at all, Carbuncle judges - all of whom have a background in architecture and design - decided it should be short listed. North Lanarkshire Council have slammed the awards organisers and say they have not taken into account the millions of pounds of investment in Coatbridge. Pat Kelly, Head of Planning and Development with NLC, said the short list for the infamous accolade was not a true reflection of the town. He added: “In the first place, a nomination on this website simply means a few people have decided to express their point of view. “It’s interesting to notice, however, that Coatbridge did not receive the most nominations on the site. It’s equally interesting to notice that the town that did have the most nominations does not feature on the short list at all. That raises questions about just how truly representative the process can pretend to be. “This council believes the whole premise of the Carbuncle Awards is flawed. It does not take into consideration investments made or planned for the future, focusing instead solely on limited perceptions of aesthetics, which form only part of any town's overall success.” Mr Kelly highlighted the fact that NLC had invested £4 million on the pedestrian precinct, and more than £15m on the Coatbridge Baths site. Summerlee Heritage Park is also being transformed into Scotland’s Museum of Industrial Life representing more than £10 million. He added: “We don’t pretend Coatbridge is perfect. But it is the subject of an ongoing, multi-million pound campaign of investment and improvement which, unlike the Carbuncle Awards, offers something constructive, positive and forward thinking to the town and to the people who live there.” The organisers of the Carbuncles say the idea is to highlight poor planning practice and encourage others to learn from it. They also say that as a result of their campaigns, changes for the better have been made – a claim the council totally refutes. Publisher Gordon Young, of organisers Prospect Magazine, said: “We visited Paisley and found it not to be as bad as first thought, and Cumbernauld, although there has been some investment, they have not taken full advantage of the opportunities. “We firmly believe that the people of Coatbridge have been let down and that although there has been some investment, it has not been put to proper use. “It is as much to do with how you spend and what you spend it on, as how much is spent.” The town which receives the most online votes will be announced next Monday. | 
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