PվɫÇéƬ

Communities across PվɫÇéƬ and Bute are set to benefit from a host of active travel projects following the announcement of new Scottish Government funding.   PվɫÇéƬ has received an award of £771,900 from the Places for Everyone programme to deliver ambitious regeneration projects through design stage to construction.   Places for Everyone is a Scottish Government funded infrastructure programme, administered by Sustrans, which aims to create safe, attractive, healthier places by increasing the number of trips made by walking, cycling and wheeling.

Our schools, pavements, potholes, bins, grass cutting, community regeneration and many more everyday essential activity is affected by the annual Council budget process. In this podcast Chief Executive Pippa Milne and Executive Director Kirsty Flanagan discuss PվɫÇéƬ’s budget, how it is funded, limitations on spending decisions, the budget development process and how decisions are made.

PվɫÇéƬ’s Housing Services team has had five nominations shortlisted in Shelter’s 2022 Empty Homes Awards. The annual awards celebrate the impactful and transformative work undertaken across Scotland to bring back many of the country’s 43,000 long-term empty homes. PվɫÇéƬ and Bute has been shortlisted in the following categories: ·       Best Before and After (Ardbeg Road and Cullipool) ·       Best Old Wreck (Cullipool and The Sheiling)

Free period products such as tampons, pads and reusable products will soon be more wildly available for anyone in PվɫÇéƬ and Bute who needs them. PվɫÇéƬ is seeking views on how to make sure everyone who uses period products, or who will use them in the future, can access this service in a way that suits them.

Plans for improved ferry terminals at Kilcreggan and Dunoon have moved a step closer with PվɫÇéƬ set to embark on public consultation on proposed designs.   Major upgrades of the existing terminals in both towns will deliver a range of benefits for passengers including improvements to the reliability of the Gourock-Dunoon and Gourock- Kilcreggan services.   The infrastructure improvements will also ensure that both terminals can accommodate larger vessels.  

Communities across PվɫÇéƬ and Bute will join the rest of the country in electing their local councillors in May this year. If you’re passionate about your community and want to make a difference to local life, have you considered standing for election to represent your local community on PվɫÇéƬ? Becoming a councillor is challenging but highly rewarding, offering opportunities to represent the people who live in your local area as well as involvement in decisions about issues of local and national significance.

Plans for a drone hub to service Scotland’s islands with unmanned flights have taken a major step forward with UK Government funding. PվɫÇéƬ has welcomed confirmation of the award of more than £170,000 UK Government Community Renewal funding to create an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Innovation logistics hub at Oban airport.

Next week, 24th to 30th January, is Welcome to Your Vote week - the ideal time to start conversations with young people about democracy, politics, and all aspects of voting. The Electoral Commission has created a set of online resources for young people, and those who work with them, to get the discussion started and help young people find out how to get and use their vote. This includes an overview of government and responsibilities at all levels, information about campaigns and how they work, and how young people can get involved in democracy.

Following Scottish Power Renewables today being awarded the seabed rights to develop an off-shore windfarm off Islay, as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind Leasing, Leader of PվɫÇéƬ, Councillor Robin Currie said: “This has the potential to bring significant benefits to PվɫÇéƬ and Bute, as well as more widely across Scotland.  It could increase by 200% the amount of clean energy we produce in PվɫÇéƬ and Bute, and make a major contribution to getting Scotland and PվɫÇéƬ and Bute to net zero. 

Children who turn five between 1 March 2022 and 28 February 2023 can be registered for primary school during the week beginning Monday 17 January 2022. This year’s primary one registration will take place online, via the council website, due to Covid-19 restrictions.