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Subsidised air services from Oban to Coll, Colonsay and Tiree have been secured for the next four years after Argyll and Bute Council awarded a new contract to Hebridean Air. It follows the announcement in May that an agreement had been reached with Hebridean Air Services Limited to continue to operate the flights on a temporary basis, while the council carried out a procurement process for a new four-year contract.

The biggest single social housing development in Argyll and Bute for decades was given the thumbs up by the Housing Minister this week. Kevin Stewart MSP, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, visited Dunbeg to see the completed Kirk Road and Dunbeg phase 3 development that is under construction. He met with council officers, elected members, and housing association and contractor representatives.

The council’s Regulatory Services team sometimes receives complaints about neighbourhood noise. This can be anything from dogs barking and frequent late night parties, to noise from pubs and televisions turned up too loud.

The council has responsibility for a variety of marine services across Argyll and Bute, including seven main piers and harbours. Vicki McKenzie is the harbour master at Oban North Pier and pontoons. Talking about her role, Vicki said: “I love the variety that my job offers. The North Pier and pontoons are really busy throughout the year, with both commercial and leisure traffic. We see a lot of cruise ships coming in too, as well as a lot of large commercial vessels.

Did you know that the council deals with licences for a variety of things? From driving a taxi, busking and erecting scaffolding to selling alcohol, running a pet shop and window cleaning. Susan Mair is the council’s Legal Manager. Talking about taxi operator licences in Argyll and Bute, she said: “Before anyone becomes a taxi driver there are a number of requirements that must be met. Our priority is to ensure that all these are in place before the applicat...ion is considered.

We've now entered week three of our A to Z of council services and what better way to start it than by paying tribute to our hardworking catering staff. Our primary schools menu is revised twice a year and is designed in consultation with the children through pupil focus groups. This helps to ensure they have a say in the menu choices and get an understanding of the importance of having a balanced diet.

Did you know that our roads, communications and web teams work in partnership to provide you with the latest travel information for Argyll and Bute? The council website has a dedicated section with links to a variety of sources which will tell you about any current/planned road works in the area, travel and weather disruptions, road closures, and links to the area’s road cameras to enable you to see current road conditions. This information is also posted on our Weathering the Storm Facebook page and service disruptions can be heard over the phone by dialling 01546 60404040.

Argyll and Bute Council’s gritter drivers cover a total of 1,430 miles of roads during the cold winter months in order to keep motorists safe using both ploughs and salt spreaders. The Council is responsible for in excess of 1400 miles of local roads in Argyll and Bute with BEAR Scotland maintaining the trunk roads on behalf of Transport Scotland.

  FareShare is a charity that works to ‘fight hunger and food waste’ by distributing food that would otherwise go to waste. It works in towns and cities across the UK. Argyll and Bute Council, with the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), is gathering information to help FareShare support organisations in Argyll and Bute to distribute food.

One of the key actions in our Local Housing Strategy is to bring empty properties in Argyll and Bute back into use. With limited resources for new development, our Empty Homes Officer Kelly Ferns works hard to make the most effective use of existing stock. Not only does this help address housing need and demand, it also helps to regenerate and support sustainable communities. Kelly’s commitment and dedication to her work has seen her win an accolade of awards, most recently being named Outstanding Individual at the Howdens Scottish Empty Homes Champions of the Year Awards.