News

The council has paid tribute to the passion that exists in Argyll and Bute for an education service that delivers the best for all children and young people. Councillors and officers also stated the importance of working with communities in delivering change where needed, when the Community Services Committee met today. The Committee considered reports on local challenges for education, national reform and feedback to the recent education change engagement exercise.

Residents on Mull have been giving their views on whether or not they would support a new school campus on the island, should funding become available to build one. Argyll and Bute Council identified a new campus on Mull as the priority across its entire learning estate and, over the last few weeks, a series of public pre-engagement events have taken place on the island to gauge people’s opinions on a potential new school.

Argyll and Bute Council’s Community Services Committee celebrated the successes and achievements of the area’s children and young people today when members approved the council’s Education Strategic Plan for 2022-2024. The Strategic Plan is a requirement of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 and brings together a range of information about the work of the education service for parents, pupils, staff, carers and communities.

Nominations are now open for Community Councils in Argyll and Bute. If you care about your community and want to get more involved in local life, why not consider standing for election? Community Council elections will take place in October 2022. Community Councils are voluntary organisations which are set up by statute by local authorities, but which are run by local people to act on behalf of their community. Their general role is to act as a voice for their local community.

The project team behind Campbeltown’s £15.2 million Flood Protection Scheme (FPS) are inviting local business and residents to a pop-up event to find out more about the scheme. The informal event will take place in Burnside Square on Wednesday 31 August between 3pm and 9pm, and is a great opportunity for people to go along and have a chat with representatives from Argyll and Bute Council, Dawson WAM and Aecom before work starts next month.

A new public square, improved car parking and additional seating are just some of the benefits Ardrishaig residents and visitors can look forward to as improvement works start from 29 August.   The Ardrishaig development works include:  

Argyll and Bute Council is holding a by-election to elect one councillor in Ward 2, Kintyre and the Islands, on Thursday 29th September.  You can find more details about the election on the council website /election-kintyre-and-islands-29th-september-2022. The Kintyre and the Islands ward spans the mainland area from around Tarbert to Carradale and includes the islands of Islay, Jura, Gigha and Colonsay.  It has an electorate of just over 6,000 people.

Argyll and Bute Council teamed up with liveArgyll and Argyll and Bute TSI to host two successful welcome events for Ukrainian refugee families who have arrived in the area. The welcome fairs took place in Dunoon and Oban, and a large number of partner organisations and community groups attended to showcase the wide range of services and support available.  The event attracted a large number of families, all of whom received helpful information on everything from housing to benefits.

Following a £1.5 million investment, Lochgilphead’s Front Green will open to the public this weekend. The transformation includes a new public square, play park, additional seating, new walking and cycling facilities and drainage and landscaping to help ease the impact of flooding. Argyll and Bute Council secured additional Scottish Government Town Centre funding to upgrade the footpath and railings along the front of the Green using local Achnaba stone. Councillor Robin Currie, Policy Lead for the Economy and Rural Growth:

Cashless parking will be available across Argyll and Bute from Monday 15 August 2022 making it more convenient for residents and visitors to park and help support town centres and local businesses.   The new PayByPhone app is user-friendly and available across 35 on-and-off street locations. It offers an alternative means of payment to the existing pay and display machines enabling payment via your mobile phone.