An Edinburgh SNP councillor is stepping down from his role after more than a decade in the City Chambers.
Frank Ross, a former Lord Provost and deputy council leader, will not see out his third term, the SNP group confirmed on Friday (December 16). His resignation will spark a by-election in his Corstorphine/Murrayfield ward.
It comes after he failed in a bid to get compensation for local traders who said their business had been devastated by the construction of a new cycle route.
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Cllr Adam McVey, SNP leader on Edinburgh City Council, said he had been a “tireless campaigner” and added: “We wish him very well for the future post-council."
Mr Ross was approached for comment.
After his election in 2012, Ross served as convener of the Economy Committee and was deputy leader of the council for just over a year until the 2017 elections. Following this, he became Edinburgh’s 257th Lord Provost and spent five years in the role until May when Cllr Robert Aldridge took over.
More recently, he campaigned for businesses in Roseburn to be compensated by the council for disruption caused by the construction of a new cycling route, which traders have complained has resulted in huge loss of income.
However as councillors were presented with options for a compensation scheme to be set-up for those affected at a meeting on Thursday (December 15), Mr Ross and fellow SNP members abstained from the vote after they failed to reach a consensus with other groups on whether businesses impacted by future infrastructure projects should also receive money.
This left the remaining voting members in favour of financial support - the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats - outnumbered by the Labour administration and Greens who moved against the plans. Mr Ross was absent from the council chamber for the remaining part of the meeting.
Councillor Adam McVey, SNP group leader said: “I'd like to thank Frank for his work over more than a decade on the Council. He's been a tireless campaigner for the communities of Corstorphine/Murrayfield, as well making huge achievements leading the city's economic development and then becoming only the second SNP Councillor in Edinburgh's history to serve as Lord Provost. We wish him very well for the future post-council.”
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