Council denies rare number plate sale was a publicity stunt

A local council has denied claims that its plan to sell a rare car registration was a publicity stunt.

East Renfrewshire Council announced in January that it would auction the HS 0 plate to help ease a budget deficit, but it has not yet been put up for sale.

One independent councillor has suggested it was a PR stunt.

The council insisted it was working to identify a suitable sale, and believed the plate could fetch a good price.

A spokesperson said: "Given the level of interest generated, we are still confident our number plate will fetch a six-figure sum.

"This is an unusual sale and the council had to carry out due diligence to ensure best value is achieved for local residents."

When the first system of motor vehicle registration was introduced in the 1900s, a one or two-letter prefix was followed by a number with up to four digits.

The prefix was used to indicate which local authority issued the registration mark. HS was used for Renfrewshire and the local authority inherited the HS 0 plate from the former Eastwood District Council.

Many local authorities own private registration plates, such as Edinburgh's S0 and Glasgow's G0.

East Renfrewshire Independent councillor David Macdonald told the Daily Record he felt the sale of the number plate was motivated by the publicity it would generate rather than any sort of fundraising.

The council said that it could not give a precise timescale for when the sale might happen but insisted it had contacted a number of different auction houses and a "decision will be taken soon on which to go with".

The planned sale of the registration plate was announced as local politicians warned they faced "extremely difficult" financial issues, including an expected £30m budget gap over the next three years.

The plate has not been in use since the lease on the council's car ended in 2022. One number plate expert told BBC Scotland it could go under the hammer for about £250,000.

Richard Walker, managing director at Grand Plates in Darvel, East Ayrshire, said that a registration of this rarity could be bought by a dealer before it ever hits the open market.

"I would be surprised if the council did not attempt to go down this route. Auction is not always the best place to sell a registration," he said.

"I can understand it if the funds are required quickly, but if you want the best price for your registration there is no other option but to advertise it with dealers across the UK and wait for the right buyer to come along."

Mr Walker said that his dealership would be happy to advertise the plate if contacted by the council.