Argyll and Bute’s Administration business will now be heard by all 36 councillors after councillors voted at the second meeting of the new council, to abolish its executive committee.

Council Leader Roddy McCuish said, “The new arrangements agreed by the council today will mark an improved approach to democracy in decision-making for the people of Argyll and Bute.

“This confirms our commitment to work in the most inclusive way possible and it underpins one of the council’s key values which is to be open, honest, fair and inclusive.”

The council agreed to keep in place the current format of Planning Protective Services and Licensing and Audit Committees with their original remits, compositions and memberships remaining in place. Short life working groups will be set up to deal with on-going council business including policy and the council’s constitution will be strengthened to allow this to happen.

Area Committees will be increased in frequency to enable more efficient decision making at a local level. Community planning groups will be strengthened and given a local focus.

In addition to these bodies, the council agreed to establish a Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee aimed at reviewing and scrutinising the council’s performance against its agreed targets and to examine and commission policy making in response to external inspection reports. This is a move to ensure that all policy decisions taken by the council are open to on-going scrutiny.

In consultation on the political management arrangements, the council also agreed to create short life working groups and the council’s constitution will be amended to accommodate requests for the formation of specific groups by the council.