Issue - meetings

At the commencement of Public and Councillor Question time a petition was submitted on behalf of Mull Community Council regarding the Mull Off-Street Traffic Regulation Order. The Chair accepted the petition advising that as it had been received after the closure of the public consultation the petition would not be referred to at the meeting and would be filed for future reference.

1.    Moray Finch asked the Area Committee if they would consider referring the Mull Off-Street Traffic Regulation Order for consideration via hearing.

The Area Committee Manager reminded the Area Committee that it would not be prudent to respond to questions on this matter but advised the Committee that referring the matter to a discretionary hearing was within their powers.

2.    Mhairi Killin, Iona Business Forum, raised concerns around the reducing number of tourists over the past two years and identified that there had been a shift in the type of traveller with most now being independent travellers. Ms Killin further asked what support Argyll and Bute Council would provide to mitigate against the reduction in tourists.

The Area Committee noted the concerns raised.

3.    Shiona Ruheman, Iona Community Council, sought clarification on whether any matter affecting islands, should involve a statutory body consultation.

The Chair confirmed that Argyll and Bute Council do and will continue to consult with communities and any failure to do so would be addressed.

4.    Iain Nicoll asked the Committee whether the Mull Rally would be able to take place as normal.

The Chair responded that she couldn’t think of a reason why Mull Rally would not continue to operate as normal.

5.    Brian Swinbanks asked the Area Committee to confirm that access would be permitted on an ongoing basis to the harbours on Mull.

The Chair informed the meeting that there was no suggestion to impeding access to the harbours and further information on this would be presented at item 7, Craignure Pier – STAG Report, of the agenda.

6.    Richard Payne asked the Area Committee when the electric car charging point at Ledaig Car Park would be fixed.

The Area Committee Manager informed Mr Payne that he would request a response from the responsible officer and respond back to Mr Payne if he provided his contact details at the end of the meeting.

7.    Elizabeth Ferguson asked each Member of the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee what they would do differently in order to sustain island life.

Councillor Robertson noted the importance of recognising the uniqueness of island life and that members regularly visit islands.

Councillor Devon responded that she hoped that everyone attending would be able to see first-hand how the committee process works and that Elected Members do take on board what communities say and use this to challenge officers.

Councillor McGrigor noted the importance of change and that more account should be taken of local bio-diversity and improving things for future generations. He highlighted the importance of treating the needs of each island on an individual basis.

Councillor McKenzie noted the strength of feeling that had been shown at the meeting on local matters and that island communities would turn out in force to address matters that affect them. She felt the current level of consultation and engagement by the Council, in its widest sense, was inadequate and that local communities should be listened to more. She also noted the importance of the Community Empowerment Act and that no one should be disadvantaged due to living on an island.

Councillor Lynch acknowledged that there was currently a lack of trust by the community and that this requires to be addressed through better levels of communication and improved engagement.

Councillor Green acknowledged that every island is different and although he doesn’t have a deep understanding of island life he appreciated the issues being faced by island communities within Argyll and Bute.

Councillor Vennard stated that new ways of communication need to be looked at and that this is something he would like to be involved in.

Councillor McKenzie believed that the Council was overly prescriptive and would like to look at how to tip the balance, adding that the Area Committees was a good place to start addressing this.

The Chair concluded this item by thanking Ms Ferguson for her question and noted the importance of building trust and the challenges faced by island living.

8.    Neil MacIntyre expressed concerns over the lack of a paper being submitted to the Area Committee for consideration in regards to item 12. Oban Strategic Framework.

The Chair informed Mr MacIntyre that a verbal progress update would be heard at the aforementioned agenda item.

9.    Mr Kirkwood addressed the Committee and asked them to consider and reflect on the following in regards to policy delivery on Mull before making decisions:

• The individual expertise of the officers and respecting the views of the communities as they know their own areas.

• Scales of participation in context of policy.

• Bio diversity, in relation to eco systems, as there is a need for all parts of an island to work together.

10. Neil McKay, Oban Tourism Alliance, asked the Area Committee if they could guarantee improvements at Mossfield Park would go ahead in the next 12 months and noted that work undertaken to date had been routine maintenance and not the improvement works promised.

The Chair informed Mr McKay that whilst no guarantees could be given at this precise moment the question would be put to an appropriate officers and a full response given in due course. Mr McKay was invited to attend the next Business Day of the Oban, Lorne and the Isles Area Committee to discuss the issue further on 14 August 2019

Councillor McKenzie congratulated Mr McKay and Oban Live on another successful event and highlighted the importance of the event to the local economy, this sentiment was echoed by all Members of the Area Committee.

11. Billy McClymont ask the Area Committee to clarify what they considered to be a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5