News

A £1.9 million project to regenerate Dunoon town centre, restore its historic buildings and celebrate its culture and history has made strong progress over the past year.  The Dunoon Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (Dunoon CARS) works with property owners, providing grants to support building repairs with the aim of safeguarding historic properties and enhancing the town’s visual appearance via the use of traditional construction materials and techniques.  

A £2.7 million project to regenerate Rothesay’s historic buildings and assist the growth of the local economy continues to deliver strong results.   The Rothesay Townscape Heritage programme is funded by National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF), Historic Environment Scotland (HES), Argyll and Bute Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), LEADER, and through Smarter Choices Smarter Places. Two million pounds from the total fund is being made available to property owners through the offer of grant support.                           

“At a time of unprecedented challenge, Argyll and Bute’s economic recovery demands action – now.” These were the words of Councillor Robin Currie, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, following cross-party agreement at last week’s Council meeting, to raise the need for urgent action on the A83 with the First Minister. This follows weeks of sporadic closure of both the A83 and the Old Military Road diversion. Councillor Currie continued:

The council’s Supporting Communities Fund will open on 11 January next year, with improvements designed to benefit applicants and communities. The Supporting Communities Fund (SCF) provides grants of potentially up to £2,500 for the voluntary sector, community councils and parent councils. The council sought feedback from previous years’ applicants, to improve the fund’s impact for local communities and the process for organisations. As a result, at its meeting today, Council agreed a number of key changes.

Councillor David Kinniburgh is Argyll and Bute’s new Provost. His election to the role follows the sad death of Councillor Len Scoullar earlier this month. Councillor David Kinniburgh, Provost for Argyll and Bute: “It is an absolute honour to be elected as Provost although it comes in such sad circumstances following the passing of my friend and colleague Len Scoullar. Being elected as Provost is a privilege and I can assure the people of Argyll and Bute, of my commitment to this important role. ”

Argyll and Bute Council has approved a new housing strategy that sets out plans to build over 900 affordable homes over the next five years. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2021/22 – 2025 will help achieve the aims set out in the council’s Local Housing Strategy. The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) covers:

Argyll and Bute Council today (26 November) agreed to suspend all off-street parking charges from 11 – 24 December. Both the council and businesses hope that the offer of free parking will encourage residents to remain in Argyll and Bute, shop locally and support retailers. Councillor Rory Colville, Policy Lead for Roads and Infrastructure Services, said: “Businesses throughout Argyll and Bute felt the full force of the COVID-19 pandemic. They stepped up to the plate to support their communities when we needed them, and it’s now time to give something back.

Argyll and Bute’s council has adopted a Decarbonisation Plan that explains how council services will focus on being environmentally responsible in their day to day work. While no single organisation can tackle climate change in isolation, the Decarbonisation Plan sets out the council’s intention to lead the way in Argyll and Bute. The plan sets out its achievements to date and its intentions for the future.

Councillor Robin Currie, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council has led tributes to Provost Len Scoullar who passed away at the weekend. Councillor Currie said:

The council’s winter roads’ maintenance plan is now up and running to tackle the worst of the cold weather ahead. You can help keep yourself safe by following the council’s daily action plan so you know what overnight road conditions are likely to be and what our gritting schedule is. That way, you can prepare for the following morning. When freezing conditions are forecast the council has 33 gritters to pre-treat over 750 miles of road, over 50% of the entire network. This is the equivalent of driving from Lochgilphead to Paris.