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A series of savings options will be considered by the Council when it sets its budget in February 2021. The Council has to prepare to meet an estimated funding gap of more than £6 million in 2021/22. At its meeting yesterday, the Policy and Resources Committee considered an update on work to find ways to raise income, make efficiencies, and identify possible savings options.

A new film celebrates the transformation of Campbeltown following investment of £13 million that has significantly improved the appearance and vibrancy of the town. The Campbeltown Regeneration project is shortlisted for the 2020 SURF Awards for ‘Scotland’s most improved place’   ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute Council has produced the film as part of the judging process for the awards. The film can be viewed on the council’s website.   Councillor Alastair Redman, Policy Lead for Business, Regeneration and Commercial Development:  

The pupils of Rhu Primary School have joined the fight against climate change by planting 420 saplings as their contribution to offset their carbon footprints. The whole school project, led by teacher Miriam Walker, enabled every child to plant at least one tree in and around the local community. The Woodland Trust provided a grant for the trees and species including rowan, birch, hawthorn, crab apple, oak, willow and dogwood.

Turning ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute’s £50 million rural growth deal into action for the area took another step forward today, with the Policy and Resources Committee agreeing to invest £150,000 in developing project business cases. With £50 million secured from the UK and Scottish Governments, the next step will be to agree ‘heads of terms’ with both governments. This will set out the ways in which the funding will be used for ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute.

Partnership working is highlighted as key to ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute’s recovery from the impact of covid-19, in an action plan agreed today. The ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute Recovery Action Plan outlines key themes for action to support the area in moving on from the pandemic and shaping the ‘new normal’. These themes include:

What makes ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute a great place to learn and teach? Who better to ask than our Chief Education Officer, Anne Paterson, who’s retiring after nearly four decades teaching in the area.  How long have you worked in education in ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute? I began working in January 1982 in Park Primary School as a brand new teacher, so almost 39 years. What roles have you held?

Pupils in secondary schools across ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute are delivering top marks for exam performance according to new figures released by the Council’s Community ߣsirÊÓƵ Committee. The latest Education Performance Data Analysis for 2020 shows that schools in the area achieved excellent results which outperformed national averages. Figures for ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute this year show that:  ·  National 4 results are above the national average by 9.1% ·  National 5 results are above the national average by 2.5%

The council has published an update on its preparations to meet an estimated funding gap of more than £6 million next year. Reports that will be considered at next week’s Policy and Resources Committee set out progress in identifying options for cutting costs, making savings and raising income. Councillor Gary Mulvaney, Policy Lead for Financial ߣsirÊÓƵ, explained the particular funding challenges facing ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute:

Council welcomes A83 announcement Councillor Robin Currie, Leader of ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute Council: “Following correspondence from the council to the First Minister, the announcement of a temporary bund to help protect the Old Military road is welcome in addition with a commitment from Scottish Government to progress an accelerated timescale for a permanent solution. This is good news as we simply cannot wait another decade with further disruption for the A83.

Ongoing investment in ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute’s roads continues to show some improvements in the overall network condition. As a result, ߣsirÊÓƵ and Bute remains in the top five fastest improving Scottish Local Authorities in terms of road condition. The council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee endorsed the Annual Status and Options Report (ASOR) this week. The ASOR summarises the council’s road assets as at April 2020 and sets out future investment options to be considered.