ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ

A small number of properties in Campbeltown are eligible to receive grant support to help make them more resilient to flood damage. Owners and occupiers were contacted at the end of last year. However, in order to take advantage of the funds and improvements on offer, anyone who has not been in touch must do so by 28 February 2021. This offer, jointly funded by ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and the Scottish Government, is only available now.

The final design proposals for the public realm improvements to Ardrishaig North are now ready to view. An on-line consultation will run from Friday 12 February until Friday 26 February at . This project is part of the Tarbert and Lochgilphead Regeneration Fund that was set up by ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ to make important public spaces in Mid ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ more attractive and easier to use.

ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ is holding by-elections in two council wards on Thursday 18th March. Voters will be asked to elect one councillor in each ward where there are currently vacant seats – Ward 8, Isle of Bute and Ward 11, Helensburgh and Lomond South.

Do you live in the Isle of Bute/Helensburgh and Lomond South area? Are you passionate about your local community as well as the wider ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute area? You may well be interested in standing for election to ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ. The council currently has vacancies in two of its wards – Ward 8, Isle of Bute and Ward 11, Helensburgh and Lomond South. Following publication of the official Notice of Election on 8th February, nominations are now open for people who want to stand for election in either ward.

The Scottish Government Minister for Local Government and Housing, Kevin Stewart, has thanked the council’s planning service for continuing to operate during the Covid-19 pandemic and has noted the role that the planning services will play in Scotland’s green recovery. His comments came as part of feedback on ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute’s 2019-2020 Planning Performance Framework (PPF), the annual performance scorecard that all local authorities submit to the Scottish Government. Across the 13 performance indicators assessed, 10 were rated ‘green’ and three ‘amber’.

Parents and carers across ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute are being thanked by the Council for their home learning efforts during lockdown. The Council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “As we approach the February break, I want to take a moment to thank parents and carers for all their patience, huge effort and understanding while our schools have been closed during lockdown.

Scottish Government funding is now available to island businesses currently living under level 3 restrictions. The Island Equivalent Payment recognises that while some islands are facing lower restrictions, there is still a significant impact as a result of COVID-19.  

ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ has secured a major boost for the local economy that will help support regeneration and employment projects. The money from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) will help deliver three key initiatives:

ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ’s Policy Lead for Education has welcomed a report from HM Inspectors of Education (HMIE) which provides a national overview of remote learning across Scotland. This report was developed to learn what is working well, identify challenges, and look at what further assistance is required to continue to improve the delivery of remote learning to young people.

Achaleven Primary has been awarded its eighth Green Flag by Ecoschools Scotland. Pupils have been working hard to incorporate environmental matters into everyday life, not only in the school, but also in the local community and beyond.