Public notices 'part of the democratic process' agree ministers

The Scottish Government had hoped to save councils about 4 million a year by removing an obligation to place notices, such as planning applications and road closures, in the press.

However finance secretary John Swinney conceded yesterday that political opposition to the plan was too great.

He said: "Those who called on us to withdraw this legislation have singularly failed to say how they would cut spending on adverts.

That remains a clear objective for the government and an agenda we will continue to take forward."

Opposition parties united in January to vote against the plan, described in parliament as the "death knell" for small newspapers.

Conservative culture spokesman Ted Brocklebank said the plan was "ill-conceived", adding: "It has been estimated that newspaper income across Scotland could have dropped by 10m if public notices had been transferred to the internet.

Liberal Democrat media spokesman Iain Smith said: "This is a welcome about-face from the SNP. Keeping public notices in local papers ensures that they will be read by those they are intended for."

However, Pat Watters, president of local authorities group Cosla, accused opponents of self-interest.

He added: "As a result of this decision, councils will be forced to place advertisements that nobody reads in newspapers with plummeting readerships at a cost of 6m a year, at a time when public sector budgets have never been under such pressure."

Scottish Newspaper Society director Jim Raeburn said: "It was gratifying that all four opposition parties made clear that taking public notices out of newspapers would undermine a fundamental part of the democratic process."