Local councillor Maurice Corry says he will not be standing as a candidate in next year's local authority elections.

Mr Corry, elected to represent the Lomond North ward in 2012, has also announced that he will relinquish his role as Argyll and Bute Council's policy lead for health and social work services by the end of August.

His decision comes amid calls for him to stand down from his council roles after he was elected to the Scottish Parliament as a 'regional list' MSP for the west of Scotland in May's Holyrood poll.

As we reported in last week's Advertiser, two motions were considered at a full council meeting on June 30 urging Mr Corry to reconsider his position as a senior local councillor in the wake of his election.

As well as being a policy lead', he chairs NHS Highland's health and wellbeing partnership and Argyll and Bute's integration joint board, which is responsible for overseeing the integration of the area's health and social care services.

"I have decided to stand down as a senior councillor and policy lead for healthcare and social work services," Mr Corry told the Advertiser, "with a rolling and responsible handover by August 30.

"This is reflecting the success of setting up the board and leading it through until August.

"I shall continue to serve as a local councillor for the Lomond North ward until May 2017 with the same commitment I have given in the last four years.

"Many of my constituents have been very supportive of my so doing.

"I am not standing again in 2017."

Mr Corry confirmed that he would be donating his councillor's salary until next May to charity, though he said the identity of the charity in question was "a private matter".

Asked how he planned to balance his council and Scottish Parliament commitments until next year's elections, he said: "My business and military training give me the ability to plan, multi-task and deliver as required."

Mr Corry, who is a member of Holyrood's public petitions committee, also serves on the council's policy and resources and community services committees.

He is one of 14 MSPs who also serve as local councillors - six of them from the Conservative ranks, four from the SNP, two from Scottish Labour and one from the Scottish Greens.

His replacement as policy lead and chair of the integration board is independent Keiron Green, who was elected in a by-election in the Oban North and Lorn ward on June 2.