Argyll and Bute has great people, places and opportunities for success.
Argyll and Bute needs its council to deliver more services than many other councils: we provide transport to and from islands for example, and we are investing in our economy to reverse the decline in population that threatens the future of the area.
Careful financial planning and changes to how we work mean we are continuing to deliver more than is required of a council.
Argyll and Bute however has had the third highest cut to its council funding of all of Scotland’s authorities in recent years, and estimates show we will have to deliver another £9.2million of savings next year.
You may be aware that we recently secured a rural growth deal of £50 million for Argyll and Bute. While this is great news, this one off funding cannot be used to bridge gaps in our budget; it must be used to deliver specific economic development objectives to be agreed with the UK and Scottish Governments.
Another year of cuts to our budget for council services means that we have to focus on duties and growth:
- we must protect the services all councils have a duty to provide
- we must achieve the population and economic growth Argyll and Bute depends on to grow a successful future.
Your views have helped us deliver a balanced budget in the past. We would value your involvement again this year.
Thank you for taking time to respond to this consultation.
The consultation period ended on 16th December 2019.
Aileen Morton
Leader of Argyll and Bute Council
Introduction to the work of Argyll and Bute Council
Argyll and Bute Council serves the second largest area and highest number of inhabited islands of all Scottish local authorities.
The council delivers hundreds of services every day – around 250 – more than many other councils.
We invest in building a successful future for Argyll and Bute
We have had the third highest cut in council funding over the past 5 years.
Last year the council used its budget to invest:
- £76 million in Education
- £58 million in social work
- £58 million in non-controllable costs such as utilities
- £46 million in Economy, Environment and Customer Support Services
- £4 million in Argyll and Bute’s Leisure Trust