Argyll and Bute Settlement Programme

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Argyll and Bute Outcome Improvement Plan 2013-2023 sets up an overarching
vision that “Argyll and Bute’s economic success is built on a growing population”.
Overall aim of the project is to determine the barriers faced by people seeking to take
up employment in Argyll and Bute’s remote, rural and island communities and to
increase the likelihood that they will make the move and settle long-term. To address
population retention and growth challenges the Settlement Project was developed
during discussions in the COHI Population Working Group, with input from the Scottish
Government’s Population Team and funding from HIE. Natalia Jejer, Settlement Project
Support Officer was employed to work on the project and started with the Economic
Growth Team on 4th April 2022.
Four geographical areas of focus for this project were identified at council as Coll and
Tiree, Kintyre, Bute and the Rosneath Peninsula. All four will receive the same amount
of attention within the scope of this project.
The first phase of project is to make contact with the relevant internal sections and
external organisations. This contact, which is still ongoing, has provided a wealth of
qualitative (e.g. local issues) and quantitative information (e.g. NRS population
projections) that is currently being drafted into an initial report for presentation at
committee.
This draft report is in its first iteration and is being prepared for review by senior
management. Once finalised and approved at committee it will go forward to be
presented at COHI, along with the other two Settlement Officers (Highland and
Western Isles).