Port Glasgow backlash prompts retirement of ‘most dismal town’ Carbuncle Award, new Heart On Your Sleeve trophy unveiled

Port Glasgow’s derelict Clune Park estate and its surrounding regeneration plans have become a flashpoint in the latest chapter of Scotland’s Carbuncle Awards, with the long-running contest scrapped after the town’s backlash. Social entrepreneur Kevin Green refused to accept the Plook on the Plinth trophy on behalf of Port Glasgow, denouncing the ceremony as “poverty tourism” that missed the town’s spirit of resilience. In the wake of that confrontation, the magazine behind the awards, Urban Realm, announced a shift away from the much-derided prize toward a more positive recognition of community potential, naming Port Glasgow as the first recipient of the new Heart On Your Sleeve Award.

The Carbuncle Awards, which began after a now-famous quip by the Prince of Wales likening a proposed National Gallery extension to a “monstrous carbuncle,” have long used a plook-shaped Play-Doh sculpture as part of a tongue-in-cheek critique of Scotland’s built environment. The Plook on the Plinth trophy has been officially retired and replaced by the Heart On Your Sleeve prize, with Port Glasgow selected as its inaugural winner. Urban Realm editor John Glenday described the change as a response to a changing social and economic landscape, noting that Scotland remains a relatively centralized economy and that smaller towns often struggle to attract investment and attention.

The original Plook on the Plinth award visited seven towns and six communities since its debut in 2000, with Cumbernauld receiving the honour twice and Aberdeen’s 2015 designation catalyzing a pause that lasted until this year. Kevin Green’s rejection of the trophy occurred just two weeks before the formal presentation, when he accused editor John Glenday of staging a “poverty safari” and argued that the town’s true narrative is about potential rather than dismal outcomes. Although the moment was tense, the two men later shared a more constructive conversation, and Green proposed a pivot toward a more positive symbol of local effort.

The new Heart On Your Sleeve trophy was unveiled in Port Glasgow on a sun-filled day that reflected a fresh mood in the town. The trophy is a deliberately bold, if camp, sculpture: an arm reaching forward with a red heart jutting out just above the elbow. The design aims to celebrate collective pride and practical progress rather than ridicule. For Urban Realm, the shift mirrors a broader push to channel local energy toward tangible outcomes, particularly in communities that have faced decades of economic volatility and urban decline.

Port Glasgow’s anti-hero narrative has long centered on John Wood Street, where Kevin Green’s PG25 regeneration project is based. The area features a high share of Common Good properties—buildings gifted to the town for the public good—yet more than a third of the 19 retail units are currently vacant. The resulting gaps drain the Common Good fund, leaving about £50,000 annually for bills, while the town struggles to lure foot traffic away from a nearby retail park that saps customers away from the historic core. Green notes that reactivating this street could add roughly £250,000 a year to the fund if occupancy rose, enabling reinvestment in streets, storefronts, and local services. A 700-person survey indicated broad community support for a plan to reconnect the old town with the retail park and to leverage regional assets such as a 100-square-mile park surrounding the town and a river that, he argues, has not been fully exploited.

The strategy to transform Port Glasgow relies in part on leveraging private capital and public procurement mechanisms to deliver social value. Green has noted that in England and Wales new procurement laws require businesses to allocate a portion of major contracts to social outcomes, such as training and community projects. While Scotland’s framework is less prescriptive, Green argues that companies often have discretionary opportunities to contribute, including staff volunteering days that could be redirected toward local priorities. He contends that communities must articulate their needs clearly to unlock these resources, and that the new award could help focus corporate support on concrete improvements rather than commentary.

Urban Realm’s John Glenday said the timing felt right for a positive reform, stressing that the town’s challenges are real but solvable with coordinated effort and investment. The Port Glasgow regeneration plan emphasizes streetscape improvements, better linkages to the nearby shopping area, and a broader strategy to make the historic core a destination rather than a relic of a changing retail landscape. The aim, he said, is to turn aspiration into action by encouraging substantial, visible progress that can attract further funding and partnerships.

For volunteers, the shift is already resonating. Addie Williams, who has lived in Port Glasgow for seven decades, welcomed the new approach, saying that while the Plook award drew attention and discussion, it ultimately sparked conversations about what the town can achieve. Williams acknowledged the town’s past decline, noted the role of the retail park in drawing footfall away from the old town, and stressed that local people deserve more support and less stigma. He also described a sense of optimism about the potential for renewed civic energy, particularly when residents see clear plans, steady investment, and a more inclusive conversation about what the community wants and needs.

Port Glasgow’s leadership has underscored that the new Heart On Your Sleeve award is not a gloss on failure but a tool to mobilize resources, align with public and private partners, and celebrate the everyday work of residents who lobby for better streets, safer blocks, and improved services. Kevin Green’s PG25 project continues to pursue regeneration by building a narrative of possibility around a place that many outside observers once dismissed. The town’s experience suggests that a positive, action-oriented award framework can channel community energy toward practical outcomes, especially when residents feel their voices are heard and their contributions valued.

The Plook trophy may be retired, but the conversation about Port Glasgow’s future is far from over. As the town seeks to reconnect its historic core with modern retail and public space, the Heart On Your Sleeve Award marks a shift from ridicule to responsibility—an attempt to harness momentum and demonstrate what a community can accomplish when it is equipped with both vision and support.