Policy Leads Report
Argyll and Bute Council · 21 November 2024
Back to Argyll and Bute Council — 21 November 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COUNCIL 21st November 2024 POLICY LEADS REPORT 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report provides members with an update on key areas of activity for each Policy Lead Councillor. This aims to provide updates from all Policy Leads as regularly as possible, so that all members are informed, up-to-date and able to engage with current issues. This report covers the period since the last update provided to Council on 26th September to 8th November 2024. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 Members are asked to consider the report. 3. POLICY LEAD FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – Cllr Math Campbell- Sturgess 3.1 Projects and Regeneration: Argyll and Bute Gift Card: We are working with Miconex (who administer town gift card schemes) to enhance corporate gifting opportunities for the Argyll and Bute Gift Card, aiming to boost local spending. We have also distributed information to all participating businesses about Miconex’s “Best Business” competition and are preparing promotional materials to support the shop-local message. Carbon Neutral Islands (CNI): Two applications have been made from the Islay Energy Trust and the Islay Development Initiative for support from the Carbon Neutral Islands Capital Fund for solar/battery power for community buildings and a community forest/orchard project, with a decision from the Scottish Government pending. Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF): We continue to support recipients of past RCGF awards, including projects in Port Ellen, Scalasaig, Kilmory, and Ulva Ferry. The Aros Waterfront Development and
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Nonhebel Light Industrial Park Expansion on Mull are also progressing well. We are engaging with the Scottish Government to emphasize the impact of RCGF funding and highlight ongoing needs for regeneration across Argyll and Bute. 3.2 Film and Creative Industries: Film Productions: The number of film enquiries remains consistent, with recent productions including "Borges and Me" and several TV features showcasing local sites, such as Kilcreggan Pier and Clachan Bridge. Interest continues to grow, with a range of enquiries for some exciting and familiar programmes. Strategic Events and Festivals (SEF): Round 7 of SEF is open, with applications due by 18th November. A new online form has been developed to streamline the application process. Royal National Mòd (RNM): The Royal National Mòd took place in October in Oban, with daily live coverage by BBC Alba and extensive social media engagement. An economic impact assessment will be provided by An Comunn in early 2025. 3.3 Conservation Area Regeneration Schemes (CARS): Lochgilphead CARS: Now in its fifth year, this £2.2m program is advancing steadily. Two priority buildings have been completed, with work on two more underway, and a fifth project expected to begin early in 2025. Additionally, three shopfront improvements and a small repair project will start in November, and a series of training courses, including one on dampness and condensation in buildings, will be conducted in December. 3.4 Business Gateway and UK Shared Prosperity Fund: UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Our request for an additional £63,151.93 in UKSPF funds was approved, allowing all eligible applications received by 4th September to proceed. The total program budget is now £517,250.93, with over £334k disbursed. We await announcements on future funding to determine the program’s sustainability into 2025-26. Digital Reviews: Twenty-nine digital reviews have been conducted this financial year, with follow-ups underway to measure impact. Business Gateway’s core services continue to perform strongly, with 399 enquiries and 64 new start-ups supported across Argyll and Bute. 3.5 Digital Infrastructure: Rural Connectivity: With 95.7% of premises in Argyll and Bute now connected to the fibre network, we are closely monitoring the rollout and addressing any challenges, such as Openreach’s use of poles in Helensburgh and issues at the Ardfern exchange.
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Digital Exclusion Fund: After a competitive tender process, Streetwave has been awarded the contract to address digital exclusion, with mobile measurement units now operational. Additionally, agreement has been reached with landowners on Kerrera for the placement of repeater stations. Public Switched Telephone Network (PTSN) switchover: I have continued to highlight the potential for rural communities to become isolated during power outages once the PSTN switchover from analogue to digital has been completed. Officers are also continuing to engage with telecare service users in this regard. 3.6 Employability and Skills Development: Fair Start Scotland and Young Person’s Guarantee: The employability team continues to support participants, with 64 out of 86 young people who ceased support securing employment. Five young people remain in supported roles and are progressing well. No One Left Behind (NOLB) and Tackling Child Poverty: Support for low- income parents through the Parental Welfare Fund is ongoing. Anticipated outcomes by March 2025 include support for over 300 individuals across both initiatives. 3.7 Isle of Mull Visit: I had the opportunity to visit a number of key projects during a recent visit to Mull. These included the Nonhebel Light Industrial Park, the worker housing initiative, and harbour improvements in Tobermory. I also saw the Ulva Ferry facilities. I engaged with local businesses to discuss their experiences and gather insights on how council-led initiatives are impacting economic growth and infrastructure on the island.
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Shore facilities at Ulva Ferry Marine facilities
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4. POLICY LEAD FOR CARE SERVICES – Cllr Dougie McFadzean 4.1 Integration Joint Board: I have started a programme of one-to-one sessions with members of the Integrated Joint Board where I have had the opportunity to speak with several members of the board face to face. These sessions are important to me, helping me understand the skill sets and ambitions of the members and allowing me to get to know the members I work with, particularly as it’s still relatively early days in my Policy Lead journey. What has come across so far is the enthusiasm and ambition the members have for health and social care across Argyll and Bute. The broad base of skills and knowledge has helped assure me that we have the right people on the board and people who want the absolute best for our communities. I will continue these one-to-one meetings in the months to come. 4.2 HSCP Facilities Visits: I have also started a programme of getting around HSCP facilities across Argyll and Bute, speaking with staff and looking at the facilities. I recently visited Mid Argyll Hospital in Lochgilphead where I was made very welcome by the management team. The hospital and associated facilities were very impressive and spotlessly clean. The Local Area Manager was very proud to introduce me to a small team of dedicated staff who have, at the time of writing this report, gained a place in a national final for their Virtual Wards Project. We should know by the time this report is presented if they won or not, but even if they don’t win (and I truly hope they do), I want to pass on my congratulations for driving this incredible piece of work. In the coming months I’ll be visiting several more premises and meeting with the staff and service users, which I am really looking forward to. 4.3 Budget and Resources: The Senior Management Team have been working tirelessly in the background planning for the budget for 2025/26, a very challenging task in these fiscal times. At all times during these discussions the needs of the community are at the heart of every decision. Tough times lie ahead, but it is important to be innovative and embrace new technologies to help make Argyll and Bute the best place to live that it can be. Budget pressures and staff resource pressures remain the biggest concern for services in health and community care with some potentially very difficult recommendations having to be proposed to the Integration Joint Board. For older adults the context is delivering services and supporting greater numbers of older adults and their unpaid carers in the community with more frailty.
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4.4 Care at Home: The Care at Home new contract will be implemented in November 2024. The Care at Home Strategic Group has an overview of the future of care at home (both internal and externally commissioned services) and there is an organisational redesign group leading a full redesign of the internal services. 4.5 Care Homes: Strategically work is underway to provide high level options for future care models. Short term islands funding of £980,000 has been provided by the Council, HSCP and Scottish Government to support an expansion of rooms in Thomson Court, Bute. 4.6 Unscheduled Care: The Winter Plan was submitted to the Scottish Government in mid-October. Winter planning is well underway. Delayed discharges provide a tangible reflection of systems pressures and people not being in the right place when they are delayed in hospital. There are many reasons for delays and pressures come from both local hospitals and those within Greater Glasgow and Clyde. These pressures help to identify longer term changes in services (where possible) to mitigate risks. This strategic whole system model is progressing within the Senior Leadership Team. It continues to embed the strategic focus around maximising prevention, early reablement, independence and supporting people to be in their homes or a homely setting. 4.7 Adult Protection: Updated Adult Support and Protection Procedures are being signed off by the Adult Protection Committee. 4.8 Draft Island Strategy: The HSCP provides health and social care services to our 23 inhabited islands and this strategy is a really important element to help in the delivery of services for island communities. The consultation process has been positively received and closed on 7th November. 4.9 Time to Care: Part of the HSCP’s approach to managing financial risk is ensuring a focus on efficiency and productivity. Time to Care is a Highland wide initiative surveying available capacity in the delivery of care and informing future planning and resource management. Remote and rural care requires a different approach to resource planning than that in an urban environment, and ensuring that people can be supported to live healthy lives in their communities, getting the right care at the right time. 4.10 Winter Planning: The formal winter period is assessed as October to the end of March. Traditionally this was a period where health and social care services saw more pressure on delivery. Post pandemic there is less of a delineation between winter and non-winter periods as demand has risen
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across the board. However planning is still put in place and within this continuity processes are considered. Externally a record number of NHS 24 call handlers will support the public to access the most appropriate care this winter as services deal with increased demand. Through the Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint Winter Preparedness Plan, continued investment for NHS 24 will increase service capacity to provide clinical supervision for at least 150,000 additional calls per year and help prevent unnecessary A&E attendances. Further information is available here. 4.11 Screening Programmes: Building upon work previously undertaken, the Public Health team have applied for national funding to continue the screening engagement work. This work focuses on certain groups who face additional barriers to accessing screening programmes, such as cervical and bowel, helping to reduce health inequalities. It improves awareness of screening programmes within these groups to support people to engage with them and improve their health outcomes. The HSCP’s Screening Engagement Officer will be offering training on the national screening programmes to organisations throughout Argyll and Bute who work with those eligible for screening in an effort to break down barriers that exist to people accessing these vital services and increase uptake. 4.12 New Scottish Benefit for Pensioners: A new disability benefit for people of State Pension age opened on 21st October to new applications from people living in the following five local authority areas: Argyll and Bute, Highland, Aberdeen City, Orkney and Shetland. The payment will be available across Scotland by 22nd April next year. It is not means-tested and is worth between £290 and £434 a month depending on the needs of the person who gets it. Pension Age Disability Payment is replacing Attendance Allowance in Scotland, which is delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Further information is available here. 4.13 Improving Palliative Care: Views are being sought by the Scottish Government on a new strategy, Palliative Care Matters for All. Palliative care is holistic care that prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, assessment and management of pain and other problems – whether physical, mental, social or spiritual.
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An ageing population that is living longer, with more complex needs, means more people will need access to palliative care in the future. The draft strategy has been developed in collaboration with the palliative care community and people who have experience of palliative care. Further information is available here. 5. POLICY LEAD FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, RENEWABLES AND NET ZERO – Cllr Luna Martin 5.1 APSE Energy Summit: During October I attended the APSE Energy Summit in Glasgow. The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) maintains and develops a network of local government officers, managers and councillors from local authorities across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Through the extensive APSE network, more than 300 local authorities and organisations are able to share information and expertise on vital frontline services, ask for advice and innovative solutions, and develop new, viable ways forward in an effort to help one another. APSE, working on a not-for- profit basis, supports local authorities in the development of strong and sustainable public services. The agenda covered a range of topics directly relevant to Scottish local authorities. There were speakers from local authorities across Scotland, as well as academics, public sector organisations, The Scottish Government and APSE Energy partners. There was also workshops and discussion sessions in which I was able to learn and contribute. 5.2 ACT Peatland Initiative, Islay: I met with members of the ACT Peatland Initiative on Islay to learn more about the work being undertaken to restore dried and depleted peatlands on Dunlossit Estate. The Peatland Initiative aims to make peatland restoration more accessible to everyone on the island, whilst also building the connection people have with the peatlands
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around them and improving understanding of the species that call the landscape home. While on Islay, I also met with members of the Carbon Neutral Islands (CNI) group and visited the Islay Energy Community Benefit Society Community Wind Turbine. I was also able visit to the Islay Energy Trust offices and various other community buildings, including the Islay Gaelic language centre where I learned more about the centre’s efforts to promote and teach Gaelic on Islay. 5.3 ACT – reCycle: During one of my meetings with Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT), I was introduced by Jamie Joyce to the reCycle Repair and Maintenance scheme. The scheme, which is based at Kilmory, takes donated bicycles, reconditions them to a safe and useable standard and then provides them for free to Argyll and Bute residents who apply. The main aim of the scheme is to encourage people to cycle as part of their everyday short journeys.
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ACT is a registered Cycling Scotland training centre providing free on road training for any reCycle participants, from complete beginner to advanced, to ensure everybody can enjoy the benefits of cycling. reCycle also works with LiveArgyll to support all “bikeability” participants access a safe and functioning bicycle for training and beyond. I was incredibly impressed to hear that the small team at reCycle have recently managed to gift seven recycled bicycles to local children in the space of only one week during October. 5.4 Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) Updates: The Council continues to successfully coordinate the delivery of Nature Restoration Fund projects across our school estate, with £188,416 of the available £203,000 now allocated following two rounds of grant applications from 34 schools. Financial systems are now in place, with individual cost centre codes established and PECOS procurement arrangements being finalised to enable project delivery. These transformative projects will enhance biodiversity across our school grounds while providing valuable hands-on learning experiences. The diverse range of initiatives includes: Creation and enhancement of pollinator-friendly habitats Installation of wildlife corridors and hedgerows Development of school food-growing areas Restoration of pond and wetland ecosystems Several schools have additionally embraced circular economy principles through enhanced food waste management and composting systems. This approach not only reduces waste but creates valuable resources for their growing spaces while teaching practical sustainability skills. These projects represent a significant investment in both our natural environment and our young people's environmental education, creating lasting positive impacts for biodiversity and climate awareness across Argyll and Bute. 5.5 Works at Kilmory Woodland: The productive site meeting was held with Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust (ACT) on 28th October to review the significant progress at the Kilmory Estate Woodland Hub. This collaborative initiative between the Council and ACT has already delivered several successful projects:
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Current achievements include: Establishment of a new tree nursery within the woodland area Development of the ACT Rainforest Hub, now home to multiple community projects including: ACT Rainforest Squad reCycle community bikes project STEM Outdoors MAKI Pups The next phase of development centres on creating a comprehensive Woodland Management Plan, which will unlock additional external funding opportunities to complement Council investment. Funding will also be required for essential woodland management, particularly for a new round of Rhododendron Ponticum control to protect the native woodland habitat. The restoration of the historic walled garden represents a significant heritage opportunity to create an exemplar biodiversity garden showcasing rare native species and traditional horticultural practices. This transformation would establish a valuable educational resource and therapeutic space for Council staff, local communities, and visitors, while preserving an important part of the estate's heritage. Several volunteers have already expressed keen interest in supporting this restoration project. This project exemplifies effective partnership working while delivering multiple benefits for biodiversity, community engagement, and sustainable development.
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5.6 Installation of solar panels at Cardross Primary School: Another milestone in the Council’s renewable energy programme has been achieved with the successful installation and commissioning of an 86kW roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system at Cardross Primary School during the October 2024 holiday period. This installation marks the completion of the final mini-project within our Non-Domestic Energy Efficiency Framework (NDEEF1) programme, concluding the implementation phase of this important initiative. The system will now enter a comprehensive Monitoring and Verification (M&V) phase, conducted by independent specialists EEVS Insight Ltd, running until Q3 2025. This rigorous evaluation process will verify the energy savings outlined in the original Investment Grade Proposal (IGP), with the final 15% contract retention payment contingent upon successful verification. This installation represents another significant step in reducing the Council's carbon footprint while providing: Clean, renewable energy generation for the school Reduced electricity costs and carbon emissions Educational opportunities for pupils to learn about renewable energy A demonstration of the Council's commitment to climate action The project aligns with both our climate commitments and our wider educational estate improvement programme. 5.7 Annual Climate Change Return: Work is currently underway to complete the Council’s annual Public Bodies Climate Change Duties (PBCCD) statutory return for 2023/24. This crucial reporting exercise requires extensive cross-service collaboration to accurately capture the Council's climate action progress. Officers are actively gathering comprehensive data across all service areas, including our greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, fleet, waste, and business travel. The report also documents the positive impacts of our climate mitigation projects and adaptation initiatives, from energy efficiency improvements to climate resilient infrastructure. This evidence-based reporting not only fulfils our statutory obligations but provides valuable insights that shape our climate strategy and demonstrate our contribution to Scotland's net-zero ambitions. The completed return will be submitted to the Scottish Government by the end of November 2024, after which it will be made publicly available, ensuring transparency in our climate action journey.
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5.8 Council Insulation Scheme: This scheme is funded by the Scottish Government through their Energy Efficient Scotland – Area Based Scheme (ABS) to retrofit insulation into homes which are in, or at risk of being in, fuel poverty. Effective insulation reduces fuel usage leading to lower household energy bills and in turn reducing harmful carbon emissions. All local authorities are offered the opportunity to apply for an award on an annual basis. Argyll and Bute Council received a grant of just under £2m this year to facilitate measures. The Energy Efficiency Team, which sits within Housing Services, administers the scheme for the Council. The scheme offers grants (which are not means-tested) for insulation to privately owned and privately rented homes in Argyll and Bute. All eligible applicants are offered a survey and energy rating check free of charge. Eligible properties are as follows: - Properties in Council Tax band A-C - Properties in Council Tax band D with an energy rating of E – G - Island properties as above and in addition with Council Tax band E or above with an energy rating of E-G 6. POLICY LEAD FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND CORPORATE SERVICES – Cllr Mark Irvine 6.1 Introduction: Working closely with officers over the past quarter has once again been a pleasure and good progress has been made on a large number of important policies and projects. These are some highlights from another busy three-month period. 6.2 Legal and Governance: The Scottish Government (SG) published a consultation on 3rd October seeking views on introducing a statutory provision to explicitly allow for proxy voting to be used within Scottish Local Authorities. Proxy voting would allow a councillor to nominate another specified councillor to vote on their behalf during Council and Committee decisions. This consultation is in response to concerns that have been raised with the Scottish Government around the current absence of explicit proxy voting provisions, which could impact councillors on parental leave, or those who are unable to attend for other reasons. The SG propose to amend the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 to enable a councillor in Scotland to arrange for their vote to be cast by a proxy. A further amendment would also be made which would require local authorities to agree and publish a scheme setting out how proxy voting would work in practice, where they choose to introduce proxy voting.
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The operational details, including the criteria of the scheme would not be set out in legislation. It would be for local authorities to determine how a scheme could work in practice and under which circumstances proxy voting could be available, should they wish to allow for it. Joint guidance would be produced by COSLA and the Scottish Government to assist the drafting of the operational scheme. Subject to views arising from the consultation, the SG propose the following criteria be included within the operational guidance as suggestions on where proxy voting could be appropriate: i. maternity leave, paternity leave, parental leave, shared parental leave or adoption leave; ii. complications arising from pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage or baby loss; iii. serious long-term illness or injury; iv. bereavement; v. attending to a person who is near the end of their life; vi. any other reason subject to agreement of the full Council The consultation is open for a period of eight weeks, with responses due by 28th November 2024. The results of this consultation should provide a greater insight into the issues around proxy voting. 6.3 Customer Services: Performance Excellence: Following on from the work previously reported to Council the recent publication of political priorities is allowing work to progress on the development of a new corporate plan and will support the final development of the planning workstream. Pilot groups are being identified to test the development of work plans at team level and the build of performance dashboards on power BI as part of this project. Cyber Security: The service continue to work diligently to protect the organisation against all manner of threats – both direct and indirect. I have been constantly reassured by the professionalism and ability to monitor security risks and act accordingly and I applaud our dedicated teams for their diligence. Towards the end of September, the service received notification that an external company were sending out fake targeted invoices to another Scottish council. The company are a legitimate supplier to that council, and this suggested it was a targeted, sophisticated attack on the company and its customers. As a precaution, the service initiated the Council’s standard IT blocks for external threats and these blocks will remain in place for that particular supplier until confirmation is received that the incident has been contained and resolved.
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A major cyber-attack hit ten schools across Lancashire in September with many of their computer systems affected. All schools are part of the Fylde Coast Academy Trust who confirmed it would take several days before the full impact was understood. The Trust started working with the Department of Education and Cyber Clan, a Canadian firm that assists with cyber- attacks, within hours of the attack. The incident started on 16th September and has disrupted daily operations since then with computers, printers and other technology affected. As a result, the affected schools are reverting to non-IT based processes for essential tasks. Unfortunately, this is another example of education services being targeted by cyber-attacks, causing significant impact with the prospect that system restore processes could take weeks\months to complete. The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) recently confirmed that a total of 347 cyber-attacks struck the UK education and childcare sector in 2023, which was an increase of 55% on 2022. Recent incidents like this on education institutions suggest the trend may continue to rise this year. The Council’s planned investment in redesigning the education network and the need to improve the security standards in secondary schools as part of the M365 migration, are both vital issues in the defence of such attacks. Councils across Scotland remain a target for concentrated and deliberate cyber-attacks and officers continue to act to protect Argyll and Bute Council and its residents from any impact. Microsoft 365: The MS365 project is reaching a critical stage with the preparations migrate Skype for Business users to Microsoft Teams Telephony later this year. As colleagues will recall, Skype for Business replaced external and internal telephony systems when it was installed. MS Teams will replace Skype, and, following a successful federation project across the Scottish Public Sector, users can use Teams to freely call and chat with colleagues in the NHS, other councils and lots more public and private sector partners. This has reduced the need to make chargeable external calls. To ensure those staff who need to make and receive external calls with other customers and partners, are equipped to do so, we need to assign them a chargeable Teams Telephony add-on licence. An initial pilot of 115 Teams-only staff members has been running successfully for several months.
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A key objective of this project is to migrate all corporate network staff and elected members over to MS Teams and ensure everyone who needs to make and receive external calls is equipped to do so in a way which optimises available funding and minimises future cost pressures for the council. Average Time to Fix and System Availability: I am pleased with the success of the team to maintain a reliable service within the Council’s own IT infrastructure and the expected high standard is continuing to be achieved. The average time to resolve ICT Incidents during the last month was 2.95 hours and within target. Infrastructure services came close again to 100% availability for the last month with a four-minute power cut at Kintyre House in Campbeltown the only service affecting issue. SWAN2 – New Contract with BT: The new SWAN2 contract negotiations have concluded and a new contract signed with BT to supply network connectivity to offices and schools. The CIO (copy of initial order), the SWAN2 Deed of Adherence, and Call off Contract, have all been submitted and approved by the SWAN Management Board. The first sites are expected to be live in January 2025 with the remainder migrated by the end of July 2025. Many schools will see improved bandwidth with some in especially hard to reach places benefitting from low orbit satellite technology from Starlink. Easdale Primary has seen bandwidth go from 5Mbps to 150Mbps following the move to Starlink. The success of the Starlink project at Easdale Primary has given officers confidence that it is a viable alternative to high speed connectivity through an alternate solution to tradition broadband delivery channels and I am looking forward to a wider roll-out in the future. Corporate Customer Service Excellence: On a final note I’d like to congratulate the service as the Corporate Customer Service Excellence standard re-assessment was held on 3rd of September and the independent assessor gave us the highest possible Compliance+ ranking in 51 out of the 56 criteria that make up the Standard. Well done to everyone involved. Communications – Recycling Campaign: The Council spends £3 million per year sending waste to landfill. To support reducing this, and to contribute to climate objectives, the Communications team are preparing a Christmas/New Year campaign to encourage people to recycle more. They are also working with Education to involve schools, and are aiming for campaign content that will fit the Christmas mood of December
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7 POLICY LEAD FOR EDUCATION – Cllr Audrey Forrest 7.1 COSLA Children and Young People’s Board: I attended the COSLA Children and Young People’s Board on 4th October and the agenda items were as follows: Public Session Scottish Child Interview Model for Joint Investigative Interviewing Presentation – COSLA, Police Scotland and Social Work Scotland Population Health Framework Private Session Children and Young People Board Work plan Respect for all – updated Bullying Guidance ASL Action Plan and Progress Report Children’s Hearings Redesign Consultation Education Update 'Moving on' from care into adulthood consultation Mental Health and Wellbeing Priorities This is the breadth of things discussed but as most of these were in Private Session, I would happily answer any questions privately. 7.2 School Visits Programme: I have continued school visits and have most recently been to Islay and Bute. Both days were interesting and it is really good to see the diversity of our schools and our children and young people. We were treated to a song or two in St Andrew’s School on Bute as the children were preparing for a Harvest event. We also had a young man give us a run through of how to produce a crop from start to the finished product! Visit to St Andrew’s Primary School – meeting with P7 House Captains (l-r: Jen Crocket, Wendy Brownlie, Connor, Mary Beth, Kara, Connor, Councillor Audrey Forrest, Douglas Hendry)
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7.3 Argyll Collection: After reporting on the work with the Argyll Collection in my last report, I attended a really enthralling talk in Dunoon Burgh Hall where some of the works were displayed. It was helpful to hear from those involved in the ongoing work with this fantastic collection. Across the Bay by William McTaggart Campbeltown by Gail Fleming (embroidery) 7.4 Thematic Inspection: I took part in a Thematic Inspection by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) in Helensburgh. Policy Leads from other authorities were also involved in their inspections. I was able to share with the Inspector how the service supports our schools to improve in all aspects of education including inclusion and attainment. This was an interesting task to be involved in and we await the formal feedback.
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7.5 MCR Pathways: In my last report, I spoke of the benefits of the MCR Pathways and I am delighted to report that the process to recruit a 20hr Co-Ordinator for the joint campus in Rothesay is underway and the successful applicant will hopefully start in January. 7.6 Social Media: Education have been developing the social media reach of the service. They already have X (Twitter) and Instagram accounts and are currently developing a Facebook page. Many individual schools have their own pages which are invaluable in getting information to parents, carers and the public about what is happening in their schools. If you use social media and haven’t looked for your local schools, have a look. There is one school where one of the parents uses their FB page to put live comments up during parent council meetings making another channel to enable parents to be engaged - they already provide a Zoom option. We are developing our communications with video content from Education Managers in many settings and are planning updates to elected members using some of these channels in the New Year. 7.7 Youth Philanthropy Initiative: It is always exciting to be asked to judge the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) at Dunoon Grammar School. All second year classes work in small groups to choose and research a local charity. A winning group from each class goes forward to the Grand Final where they give a presentation and the winners get £2,500 for their chosen charity. This year, the local Stay Fresh festival, which raises money for charity, added £500 to the pot, making the prize £3,000. We heard some fantastic presentations and it was a really hard task for the judges to pick a winner. Finally, the young people who chose the Dunoon Foodbank won the day- and the £3,000. Quite a few of the groups shared how learning about these charities and the social issues they deal with had impacted them in a positive way. The photograph below is of the winners with Greg Wise (l) and Brendan O’Hara MP (r) - two of the judges.
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7.8 Gaelic: At the time of writing, I will have my first Gaelic Policy Lead meeting within the next few days, and am due to meet with DFM Kate Forbes to discuss Gaelic in Argyll and Bute in the near future. 8 POLICY LEAD FOR FINANCE AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES – Cllr Ross Moreland 8.1 Financial Services: The budget outlook continues to be monitored on an ongoing basis and reported through the Policy and Resources Committee. The latest update presented to the Policy and Resources Committee showed a projected budget gap of £9.147m for 2025-26, rising to £28.565m by 2029-30, based on the mid-range scenario. This is a continually changing picture and confirmation of the Local Government Finance Settlement in December may have a significant impact on that position. The Cross Party Budget Working Group meetings are underway and officers have already undertaken a significant amount of work to identify possible savings options to help bridge the budget gap, but the position remains challenging. The audit of the 2023-24 financial statements continues to progress, with no areas of concern identified to date. Financial Services are working closely with the auditor, Mazars to conclude all matters, with a view to approving the audited accounts at a special Council meeting on 20th December. Payroll processing has now been moved from the previous Resourcelink to the new i-Trent system. This has been a significant and challenging project, with a number of teething issues still being worked through and rectified, as quickly as possible. The Payroll team are now working hard to implement the 2024/25 pay offer and to ensure that both new pay rates and arrears of pay are processed before Christmas. 8.2 Benefits Processing: As at 30th September 2024, the average processing time for new claims was 14.11 days for the month, with a cumulative average of 14.13 days, well within our target processing time of 21 days. For changes in circumstances at 30 September 2024 our processing time reduced to 5.05 days. Performance is good and I have recently been notified that we will have a new DWP performance manager shortly.
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8.3 Council Tax and other collections: Council Tax: As of 30th September 2024, current year collections for 2024/25 stand at 56.41%, a decrease of 0.21% compared to the same period in 2023/24. With the changes in the treatment of self-catering units switching between Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax throughout the year, comparisons with previous years are difficult to make. Changes as a result of the Assessors audit of the 2022/2023 year are still being made. The Assessor has not been able to advise us when the 2023/2024 audit will be concluded. Second Homes: Key Facts: There has been a reduction in the overall number of second homes in September to 2,682 from 2,723 in August. Collected 60.76% £5.088M of the total charges on second homes, core and additional 100% charge. Charged £8.375 million in total £4.151 M for the double charge element. Return of 60.76% higher than the 56.41% across the whole tax base at end of August. So second homes recoveries still strong. Percentage of second home taxpayers paying by Direct Debit 85.20%. Expecting 98.17% recovery in year £4.075 million which represents over recovery of £0.327 million as per forecast outturn. Non-Domestic Rates (NDR): As of 30th September 2024, we have collected 69.95%, which is 1.48% lower compared to the same period last year. This decrease comes primarily from empty relief ending in a particular premises. Changes to the lands and heritages on the NDR valuation roll will be made before any new applications for relief can be assessed. The collection rate should stabilise as the year progresses. 8.4 Scottish Welfare Fund: As at 30th September 2024, we have spent £258,079 in the 2024/2025 period. The confirmed budget allocation for the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) in 2024/2025 is £708,284, which includes £458,284 from the Scottish Government programme fund, supplemented by an additional £250,000 provided directly by the Council to cover cost pressures. 8.5 Visitor Levy: We are currently at the pre-consultation phase and won’t move to consultation until the New Year. Meanwhile work continues with the Improvement Service (IS) on a digital system that would be used
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should the scheme be introduced. A draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been circulated by IS for member Councils’ consideration. The service blueprint for the digital platform has been finalised and the IS is moving to the development phase of the project. Work continues with professors from the University of Edinburgh Business School to look at a more robust forecasting of our potential visitor levy tax base. 8.6 Commercial Services: Helensburgh Waterfront: Following the report tabled at Policy and Resources Committee on 15th August, officers have been implementing the agreed recommendations, including proceeding with negotiations to agree detailed Heads of Terms with Forrest Developments Ltd for the sale of the Helensburgh Waterfront commercial area. In the interim period there have been a number of representations made to the Council in respect of the decision taken by P&R, with a campaign group being established and a volume of residents being opposed to the proposals for a supermarket. Officers continue to respond to all correspondence received and have developed a set of FAQs to assist with common queries raised, which are available on the Council website here. Previous masterplans proposed over 76,000 sq ft of retail floor space at the Waterfront. Following community engagement, this was scaled back significantly to only 29,000 sq ft. There is a commitment, as agreed in those plans, to deliver all stages of the development to help support the long term regeneration of Helensburgh and part fund the project. The development has been delivered in stages to ensure that the leisure facilities were available throughout the redevelopment, when the council could have closed the whole site and redeveloped it as a single project, however this doesn’t mean other elements can then be discarded. The commercial area is also not a new concept for the town and has always been part of the Waterfront Master Plan, Local Development Plan and business cases. It is understood there are mixed views with elements of any development. However, this has been a long term project which has already delivered an award-winning new leisure centre, new parking, sea defences, resurfaced pier and public realm spaces. The Council has also committed to retaining the skatepark at the waterfront unless a suitable alternative site is identified.
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Rothesay Pavilion: A report was tabled at the Council meeting held on 26th September providing an update on the tender position for the works to complete Stages 2 and 3, and the latest funding position. The Council agreed:-- That the contract for Stages 2 and 3 of the construction works at the Pavilion should now be accepted; That the Council’s two Executive Director’s will proceed to engage with the Rothesay Pavilion Charity regarding previously agreed revenue funding support; That the estimated budget gap is to be met from the capital contract increases earmarking fund, noting that this will deplete the remaining fund; and That the Rothesay Pavilion project is allocated £9m from the Scottish Government Rural Growth Deal £25m funding and a report brought back to a future meeting on how the balance of the £25m be allocated. Lochgilphead – Commercial Site Visits: On 8th November, I joined Douglas Hendry - Executive Director and Ross McLaughlin - Head of Commercial Services, on a tour of a number of sites in and around Lochgilphead, including:- Kilmory Depot, Kilmory Business Park, Old Lochgilphead Primary School site, Whitegates Offices, Bishopton Road Depot and NHS Sites. The Service have been involved in the recent development of some of these sites, with others subject to longer term planning and development. Oban Airport Business Park: Following on from the update paper at the Policy and Resources Committee held on 10th October, the team continue to develop the business case and plans for delivery of this project. Two lynchpin tenants have had draft Heads of Terms agreed in draft form plus a planning application has been submitted. Contractors to undertake the works have been tendered and appointment is on track to be made by end of November with construction commencing early 2025. There has also been positive news from Scottish Government allowing an extension of the period of time that TIF money can be harvested. Mull Campus: Since my last report in September, the team have been very busy undertaking a series of community engagement sessions across Mull and Iona to give all members of the community the opportunity to inform us of any possible sites for the new campus and what is important to them when selecting a site. In addition to the ten face to face workshops, which were attended by over 200 people, there was an online survey and dedicated pupil sessions to capture as broad a range of feedback as possible.
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The team are now working closely with the hub North engagement specialists to collate and analyse all of the feedback received as part of the process and anticipate being in a position to report on this as part of the next project update due in November. This information will be used to inform the site selection criteria and weightings that will be used to assess potential sites with the aim of identifying a preferred site before Christmas 2024. All updates and information in respect of the project can be found on the dedicated webpages here. 9 POLICY LEAD FOR PLANNING AND REGULATORY SERVICES – Cllr Kieron Green 9.1 Introduction: Since my previous Policy Lead report in September I have chaired Planning, Protective Services and Licensing (PPSL) committee meetings on the 18th September and 23rd October, Short Term Lets hearings on 20th September and the Argyll and Bute Licensing Board on 24th September. A number of Local Review bodies have also been called over this period. I was invited to attend a team day for Regulatory Services staff on 24th October. Given the geographical size of the council area, and with many in the service still working from home, days such as these provide a valuable opportunity to build connections with colleagues. A focus for discussion was how services could be more effective and efficient – with ideas emerging about greater use of technology in addition to prioritisation of workload. I appreciated the opportunity to meet many of our staff. At the COSLA Environment Economy Board on 1st November the electricity grid, reducing car usage, waste and recycling, and climate change were on the agenda. 9.2 Development Management: Validation is currently being achieved within the target of five days, with continued progress to reduce the backlog of applications awaiting determination. This has now been reduced to 80, which is under a quarter of the maximum of 375 that was reached in early 2023. This improvement has involved the processing of ‘legacy’ items, but the majority of new applications are now being determined in line with the 12-week target. A customer user forum took place on 1st October. This was held as a hybrid event in Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre and also using Teams, with positive feedback from those who attended.
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As of September, income from planning fees was £113k over budget, assisting with the continuation of additional short term resource to process applications. The Planning Enforcement Charter was approved by PPSL in September and is currently awaiting approval from Scottish Government prior to publication. 9.3 Development Policy: Strategic Development Frameworks for Oban and Helensburgh are currently out to tender, with a members seminar and PPSL training arranged. 9.4 Building Standards: Income is on target, however down from last year, with 108 warrants received in September and commercial work continuing from East Lothian Council. Whilst this is a reduction in building warrants, reactive work relating to the assessment for dangerous buildings has increased over the last month. New tablets have been provided to officers to enable the team to access material and plans in the field, and additional visits are being carried out during construction when there is capacity. The Scottish Building Standards Hub was officially launched on 3rd September 2024 in Dunfermline. This is hosted by Fife Council and funded by local authorities. Its aim is to be an independent standalone specialist unit to support local authority Building Standards services and the wider industry. 9.5 Regulatory Services: Continuing challenges are being experienced around recruitment of environmental health officers. To help tackle this, the service have reviewed posts, created career pathway roles where there can be progression from Regulatory Services Officer to Environmental Health Officer, with appropriate support and development, while carrying out other operational roles. A video, A career in Environmental Health in Argyll and Bute Council has been developed to promote the role of an Environmental Health Officer in Argyll and Bute for use in recruitment. There are ongoing discussions with HR on what additional actions can be taken. Committee considered and approved the Regulatory Services Performance Report for 2023/24, noting many achievements and performance. Reactive work increased by 12% in 2023/24 across environmental health and this requires resources to be diverted from planned activities. While resources are pressured, the service continues to protect public health by focussing on high risk work, taking an intelligence- led approach, and working with stakeholders and partner agencies.
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Within the Food Control Plan, the focus remains on high priority businesses (including food manufacturers, exporters and premises serving vulnerable groups), incidents and high risk issues. There has been a continued reduction in Export Health certificates, now down 90% since 2020, due to exporters using alternative arrangements, which impacts on the overall income of the service. A national food alert was received for counterfeited contaminated vodka. This posed a serious risk to consumers due to the vodka being contaminated with isopropyl which is an industrial solvent and is not intended for human consumption. Environmental Health led the Council response to this, working with Licensing Standards and Trading Standards, to contact all businesses who sell alcohol, advising them of the alert and identifying whether they had been approached to buy, or have sold, this batch of vodka. Information was also issued via social media, licensing standards electronic newsletters and other means. To date, none of this product has been reported in Argyll and Bute. Bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) is circulating on the eastern side of England. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Defra have declared bluetongue zones spanning several counties to help control further spread of the disease. Further information including extent of zones is available at gov.uk/bluetongue. Whilst the disease has not been identified in Argyll and Bute or Scotland, farmers are being encouraged to help to stop bluetongue spreading by checking animals for clinical signs and only moving animals if essential. 9.6 Short Term Lets: As of October 3,308 applications for licences have been received and 1,286 granted. Applications that have not been determined within 12 months will be deemed to have been granted, until determined. This now includes a large number of those from existing operators who applied for licenses prior to the deadline at the end of September 2023. The Council’s Short-term Let Licensing Policy is currently being reviewed and officers have met with the Association of Scottish Self Caterers to discuss industry views on the scheme. Expert legal advice has been sought to support in developing our deemed grant policy. The backlog for first checks has now been worked through, with second checks underway on applications from existing operators received in September 2023, and from new operators in June and July 2024.
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10 POLICY LEAD FOR ROADS, TRANSPORT AND AMENITY SERVICES – Cllr John Armour 10.1 Rest and be Thankful / Wider A83: Elected Members and the Council remain committed to our position that a permanent solution must be found for issues at the Rest and be Thankful as swiftly as possible and this remains a strategic priority for the Council. We will continue to speak up for Argyll and Bute and its communities on this matter at every possible opportunity, directly with national government when needed as well as through the A83 Taskforce. We welcome the investment made and actions taken to date. However, this is a vitally significant route, for all aspects of life in Argyll and Bute, so we must continue to press just how important it is for work to continue at pace. I joined the Head of Roads and Infrastructure at a meeting with Transport Scotland and Bear Scotland on 8th October where we discussed matters such as overhanging trees/branches on the A83, A85 and A82, amnesties, traffic lights and road collisions/closures. This was a really productive meeting and I asked for better communication and explanations of works for our communities to ensure they are aware of what works are taking place, and why. Bear Scotland assured me that they understand the local communities’ frustration with the changes in start times and amnesties for recent projects, and advised me that amnesty times are selected based on project location and complexity. It is not always possible to accommodate an hourly amnesty on all projects – for example, where works are localised and are shallow repairs, hourly amnesties can be accommodated. For more complex works, such as those that require deeper excavation which takes more time to make safe, slightly longer amnesty times will be required. Similarly, start times of projects are tailored depending on the scale of works to be undertaken - delaying of start times results in a loss of productivity, where additional nights of disruption may then be required. I want to thank those officers from both Bear and Transport Scotland for meeting with me and taking on board the issues which have been raised with me. 10.2 Active Travel: There are a number of active travel schemes underway led by the Council’s Active Travel Team, which sits in the Development and Economic Growth Service.
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You can read more about two projects underway in Lochgilphead and Campbeltown here Work gets moving on Campbeltown path improvements Lochgilphead path moves to next stage The Active Travel funding only comes to Argyll and Bute following a competitive bidding process. All local authorities require to go through the same process. It is important to understand that there is significant work carried out made by our officers to secure this vital funding. Without that level of effort, there is a risk that the funding would go to other areas instead. This funding can only be used on active travel initiatives and we are not allowed to use it for other areas of business. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team for their dedication and commitment to bring this funding to Argyll and Bute and to ensure that it delivers for our communities. 10.3 Claonaig roadworks: Work is now substantially complete to repair a stretch of the B8001 road at Claonaig affected by land slips with the contractor mobilised on site on Monday 20 May for works initially programmed for completion at the beginning of October – an extension to the beginning of November was necessary. During this time, both the Council and the Contractor have done their best to minimise disruption to the public by keeping the road open for use under traffic management and a reduced speed limit and thanks must be given to all road users for their understanding whilst the works took place. 10.4 RIS Review: Colleagues will be aware that a report was presented to the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee in June which outlined the findings from Stage 1 of the four-stage process of the Review. The report also outlined the next steps of the Change Process and sought agreement from committee for external support for the delivery of Stages 2, 3 and 4 of the Review – that external support was agreed by committee.
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As I advised at the last Council meeting, Stephen Hall has been appointed to take this forward and started with us on 4th November. Stephen is an experienced officer who has just recently finished a commission within Dumfries and Galloway Council leading on a very similar change process within their Roads and Amenity Services department, and comes highly recommended and based on his previous experience and knowledge, I am confident that this is the best approach to take forward the RIS Review. Having external support will provide challenge and direction to ensure that planned change is delivered in terms of actions and overall long term approach to working, that supports effective service delivery. 10.5 Winter Plans: Priorities and plans are already set out to keep Argyll and Bute open for business over the coming winter and these were approved by Members at the Environment, Development and Infrastructure committee in September. The Council is geared up to treat 32 routes, amounting to 54% of our road network - this percentage is above the average of all other Local Authorities. To achieve this the Council has 32 frontline vehicles, plus another ten back-up vehicles that can be brought into use if conditions demand. Additional trailer gritters, to be used with pick-up vehicles, will be procured for the islands of Tiree, Coll, Colonsay and Lismore. As always, footways and paths are not normally treated. However, there are a number of local grit bins which can be used by members of the public. Keeping Argyll and Bute’s roads clear takes careful planning. The Council has a dedicated team who analyse local weather forecast data so we know by the end of each day what we need to do to make sure we treat the roads appropriately the following morning. We grit as many roads as possible, but the main routes always take priority. Remember the salt does not actually melt the ice on the road; it mixes with the moisture on the ground to create a saline that has a lower freezing temperature than water. This only starts to work as the salt breaks down due to traffic going over it to break it up. This means that, even although we may have treated the roads, the surface can still be very icy until this process has time to work, and we would urge people to continue to drive with caution and be safe.
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There are many resources on our website that can help you plan before you leave home. These include live-event road cameras, our daily action plan, which includes our gritting schedule, and our adverse weather plans. Please make the most of these to help plan a safe journey. In very bad weather, think about whether you absolutely have to make that journey. Useful links to be aware of: ROSPA has a useful factsheet on being prepared for winter driving. Details on the Council’s adverse weather plans. From 1 November, until next April, you can find our daily road treatment plans on the website. View our road cameras Maintenance and regulation of our road network and street lighting Roads and maintenance I would also like to thank our hard working roads workers who, year in and year out, come out to work on the icy roads, in the dark, to make sure the rest of us can get to our daily commitments as safely as possible. 10.6 New Council branded Bus: Two new fully-accessible, fuel-efficient buses are taking on new routes in Argyll and Bute to help travellers get to where they need to be – both Campbeltown and Dunoon will see the benefits from these fantastic additions. I was delighted to formally hand over the 16-seat bus to John Martin, Campbeltown’s Operations Manager with West Coast Motors, the contractors who are running the service.
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We do understand how important public transport is to people living in rural communities and towns and we do all we can to deliver services that meet the needs of daily life. The Pingo services give a bit more flexibility to support the scheduled routes and I hope that as many local residents as possible in Campbeltown and Dunoon make the most of this fantastic service. You can find out more about both specific routes in Campbeltown and Dunoon at the following links:- Pingo - Campbeltown Pingo - Dunoon 10.7 Cardross Crematorium: The Senior Inspector of Burial, Cremation and Funeral Directors recently undertook an inspection of Cardross Crematorium. I am not surprised to learn that the inspection found Cardross Crematorium to be operating to a high standard with no shortcomings in any area of the cremation process, good practice being observed throughout, and attention to detail ensuring total compliance with the instructions of the applicant. In conclusion, the Senior Inspector considers that staff at Cardross Crematorium are collectively providing an excellent service to the local community and beyond – well done to everyone involved in the running of the Crematorium. Our staff at the crematorium are a real asset to us, I am pleased that their dedication in providing a compassionate and valued service has been recognised by the Inspector of Burial, Cremation and Funeral Directors. 10.8 Ferry Resilience: Our Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee on 12th September agreed to pursue full funding for our ferry service as a way of best meeting the needs of island communities. We also agreed new plans to build resilience into operating procedures for the Jura, Luing, Lismore and Easdale ferries, as well a strategy that includes additional sailings until capacity can be increased. The long-term vessel strategy considers not only vessel replacement, but also the requirements of the island communities served by the ferries. How the ferries are crewed is also being reviewed to boost resilience and meet skills shortage and competition for those skills. Our lifeline ferry services currently runs at a deficit, with support from the Scottish Government to help bridge, but not fully fund, the gap. For the financial year 2024-25 there will be a £600,000 shortfall which will have to be met by the Council.
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We believe that the Council is best placed to provide our island communities with the ferry services they need. With appropriate funding we can support the daily needs of residents, visitors and the islands’ economies. 10.9 Amenity Wardens: At the June Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee meeting, members agreed to the creation of two new warden posts; one based in Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands, and one based in Helensburgh and Lomond, to support both the enforcement of the new prohibitions but also to enhance the capacity to enforce restrictions under the Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) regime. I am pleased that these roles have now been put out to advert, and I look forward to seeing these posts filled soon. The report put forward to the Committee reminded members that the key aim of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is to improve accessibility, particularly for the most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and children). The prohibitions on pavement parking and parking at dropped footways are intended to ensure access for walkers and wheelers without being impeded by parked vehicles and to prevent these groups of more vulnerable road users from being forced to traverse amongst vehicular traffic within the live carriageway. 10.10 HITRANS: The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) is the statutory regional transport partnership covering Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Orkney, Highland, Moray and most of the Argyll and Bute area. HiTRANS works with councils, the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, transport operators and other stakeholders to improve transport services and infrastructure in the north of Scotland and on routes to the Highlands and Islands. I was pleased to attend my first HiTRANS Meeting on 8th November in Oban, where I heard about all of the work the group are involved in. I also want to extend my thanks to HiTRANS for supporting the Mod which took place in Oban recently. HiTRANS provided eBikes for use for the duration of the Mod which I am sure were a welcomed addition to those attending the events which were planned. 10.11 Oban Airport Multi-Agency Exercise: There is a multi-agency exercise taking place in November at Oban Airport, which will incorporate a range of services including the council, Police Scotland, the Coastguard and a number of other agencies. This exercise will see officers using the new fire training rigs which were purchased via Crown Estate funding, prior to these great additions going to their new home on the islands.
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11. CONCLUSION 11.1 This report provides members with an update on each of the Policy Lead portfolios. Policy Lead Councillors will be happy to discuss any particular issues with colleagues as required. Argyll and Bute Council – Policy Lead Councillors Report – 8th November 2024 For further information please contact Aileen McNicol, Leadership Support and Member Services Manager, telephone 01546 604014 or email aileen.mcnicol@argyll-bute.gov.uk