Community Planning Partnership Management Committee Meeting Highlights
Argyll and Bute Council · 4 November 2025
Back to Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group — 4 November 2025 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 Community Planning Partnership Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group 4 November 2025 Community Planning Partnership Management Committee Meeting Highlights This briefing is for noting and relevant discussion. Summary The Community Planning Partnership (CPP) Management Committee met on 19th September 2025 in the 3 Villages Hall, Arrochar. The highlights from this meeting are here for the interest of members of the Area Community Planning Group. Access to the reports and full agenda is found by following this link – Agenda for Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership - Management Committee on Friday, 19 September 2025, 10:00 am - Argyll and Bute Council Highlights CPP Improvement Plan Gary I’Anson, Acting Chair of the CPP Management Committee, highlighted the progress made against the actions in the CPP Improvement Plan, notably the updated Welcome Pack and the Community Planning podcast. Fair Funding Guidance John McLuckie provided an update on Fair Funding Guidance for the Voluntary Sector. A paper outlining the principles of fair funding for the voluntary sector was submitted to Argyll and Bute Full Council on 26 June 2025 – item 12 on Full Council agenda pack The Council agreed to sign up to the principles of the guidance and to work towards the aspirations the guidance contains. It was agreed that the paper can be used as a template for Community Planning Partners to use within their own organisations with progress to be reviewed at the December CPP Management Committee meeting. It was noted that the CPP cannot sign up to the guidance as a partnership unless all partners sign up to the principles.
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Climate Change Andy Macpherson highlighted the Scottish Government aspiration to establish Regional Adaptation Partnerships across the country, through the existing Climate Action Network structure. Andy advised that funds have been obtained to develop a business case for an Argyll and Bute Regional Adaptation Partnership, and it was agreed that CPP partners would be invited to join a Short Life Working Group to develop the business case. It was noted that any funded development work may require a change to the Terms of Reference for the CPP Climate Change Steering Group however it was agreed this was not required immediately. Community Wealth Building Charter Susan MacRae, Skills Development Scotland, provided an update on behalf of the Community Wealth Building (CWB) Steering Group, which also includes Takki Sulamain, Argyll and Bute TSI; Alison McGrory, NHS Highland; Morag Goodfellow, HIE; and Ishabel Bremner, Argyll and Bute Council. Susan highlighted the CWB charter compiled by the group, with partners asked to review this within their organisations and confirm if they are willing to sign up at the December CPP Management Committee meeting. The Charter outlines the CPP’s commitment to, and its vision and shared principles on CWB, the role of partners as Anchor Institutions and next steps aligning with the Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan, Argyll and Bute Council’s Economic Strategy and Climate Action priorities. Susan noted that Skills Development Scotland are one of the first anchor institutions to sign the charter and added that all CPP organisations are likely to be regarded as anchor organisations (those organisations present in a place, large scale employers, purchasers of local goods and services, etc). Area Community Planning Group (ACPG) Updates Gary I’Anson noted the paper reporting on the ACPG meetings held in August 2025, with the following points highlighted by the Community Planning team: - The appointment of Gill Simpson as Chair of Helensburgh and Lomond Area Community Planning Group and the forthcoming appointment of a new Vice Chair at the November meeting. - The completion of Ian Brodie’s term as as Vice Chair of MAKI Area Community Planning Group. Priority Outcome – Transport Infrastructure Rona advised that a summary of the actions agreed at the CPP Management Committee Transport Infrastructure session in June will be circulated to those who attended. Partners will be invited to raise any concerns on content, with a follow-up session scheduled to provide an opportunity for final content amendment, following which a governance structure will be created to deliver the agreed actions. Partners
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were reminded that the actions had been created from discussions with partners and the wider community, looking at what was already being done and what the CPP can add value to. Priority Outcome - Housing Rona provided an overview of the Housing priority outcome, noting the six actions agreed by the CPP and the six actions from the Housing Emergency Summit which require CPP input, and highlighting that a number of actions are either underway or have been completed. The actions still to be started would form the basis of the discussions in the breakout sessions. Rona reaffirmed the importance of working with the Area Community Planning Groups both in terms of input to the overall CPP actions and feedback from this CPP event to help shape local actions. Presentations were delivered under the heading of ‘housing actions in the pipeline’ by Douglas Whyte, Housing Strategy Team Lead for Argyll and Bute Council; Ronnie MacRae, Housing Delivery Manager for SSEN; Morven Fancey, Head of Housing, Skills and Population at HIE; Michelle Mundie, Chief Executive of ACHA; and John Forbes, Community-led Housing Coordinator for Communities Housing Trust. All slides from the presentations are available through the link at the top of this highlight report. Attendees participated in breakout groups for the majority of the day, focused on shaping the six CPP housing actions not yet started: 1. Establish a construction skills development working group 2. Establish a partner land and assets working group; Identify and map public sector land and buildings which could provide workforce and affordable housing via repurposing and change of use. 3. Communication plan on financial interventions to prevent homelessness 4. Freedom to use Scottish Government housing funding more flexibly and as an allocation with local administrative control 5. Develop a strategic approach to evidencing the need for workforce housing in the public sector 6. Incorporate energy discussion points within CPP Climate Change Strategy Gary thanked everyone for their contributions to the discussions on Housing. The CPP team will share the outputs from these discussions and will arrange an online follow up session for attendees to make any further comments on the actions. Introduction to Priority Outcome – Community Wellbeing Rona introduced Community Wellbeing which will be the topic of the December CPP Management Committee meeting, and reminded partners of the long-term Community Wellbeing objectives agreed in the Argyll and Bute Outcomes Improvement Plan: - Broadening equality of access to Community Leadership opportunities - Furthering equality of access to services, facilities and community assets
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- Working with partners to maximise sustainability of community facilities and
services
- Enabling a voice in collective decision making
- Enhancing communication within communities
- Better understanding how communities achieve a sense of connection and
belonging
Close
Gary thanked everyone for attending and for their contributions to the complex topic
of Housing, noting it had been an excellent opportunity to meet and build
relationships for the work that the CPP needs to take forward.
For More Information:
John McLuckie, Partnerships Lead, john.mcluckie@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Full minutes of CPP Management Committee meetings are found here: {Browse
meetings - Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership - Management
Committee - Argyll and Bute Council}