NORTH Ayrshire councillors publicly discussed the purchase of the Rivergate Mall or the first time last week – before rejecting a bid to hold a public consultation.

A motion, tabled by Labour councillors Robert Foster and Louise McPhater, asked the council hold a North Ayrshire-wide consultation on the previously rejected proposal.

This was following a request by Irvine’s community council to hold one – after the secrecy over the plan last year.

Opposition councillors questioned why a public consultation wasn’t held before the first vote, how much one would cost and what information NAC could release that wasn’t already made public – after a refused Freedom of Information request.

Members questioned why they were discussing the matter at all, with standing orders stating any decision voted on by councillors can’t be looked at or revisited until after a six month period has passed.

Twenty councillors from the SNP, Conservative and Independent groups voted against the motion, with 11 Labour councillors voting for it.