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����ֱ��'s Policy Lead for Education has issued a reassuring message to parents, urging them not to put too much pressure on themselves while trying to home-school during lockdown. Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, said: “Lockdown is a difficult time for everyone, especially parents who are trying to home-school their children, many of whom are doing so while also trying to work from home – not an easy task. We fully understand that parents aren’t trained teachers and we don’t expect them to be.

Please find here an update on Audit Scotland’s Best Value inspection of ����ֱ��

����ֱ�� has given out £17.4 million already in business grants, and is reminding businesses affected by COVID-19 that they can apply for funding support until 31 March2021. The main area of activity involves the administration of Scottish Government business support schemes, which include rate reliefs and specific grants for small and medium sized businesses. Staff from a range of council services have either refocused their work, or left their usual roles temporarily, to help deliver support to local businesses at this hugely difficult time.

The council’s 2020 built environment Design Awards have been postponed because of the COVID 19 pandemic. Councillor David Kinniburgh, Policy Lead for Planning, Protective Services, and Licensing (PPSL), said: “We had to make the sad decision to postpone the design awards at the end of last week. We can’t carry out site visits which makes it almost impossible to run and judge a design competition. “We will review this decision as soon as it is appropriate. Meantime, I send my sincere thanks to everyone who expressed an interest so far.’

Following discussions with Police Scotland, ����ֱ�� will close Kidston Car Park, Helensburgh, during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Police Scotland advised that Kidston Car Park has been popular over the last few weeks with visitors parking their vehicles there and then walking along the esplanade. The local Inspector has asked the council if the car park can be closed to deter this from happening.

If you have applied for business support during the COVID 19 pandemic, please note there is a clear process for notification. You will receive an email from ����ֱ�� telling you if your application has been successful or unsuccessful. If you have been successful, you will receive an automatic payment within three to five working days. Payment will be made directly to the bank details, submitted in your application, by BACS.

Caring teachers from Oban High School’s Business, Design and Technology Department have now made more than 400 protective face visors for use in their local community. Damian Heaney, Ronnie Dott and David Berry created a prototype which was approved by the NHS, before setting about creating the visors using materials from the school’s technical department, such as acrylic, acetate and pop rivets. 

����ֱ�� is working hard with community groups, local organisations and volunteers to make sure those people who have been asked to stay at home for 12 weeks (shielding) and have no existing support systems in place, receive essential food parcels. 

We are working hard to deliver as many of our normal services as possible at this difficult time and we are grateful to the vast majority of the public who are supporting us in our efforts. However, there is a minority putting our workers and their communities at risk through irresponsible behaviour.

A Scottish Government report has highlighted that ����ֱ��’s planning service continues to provide a high quality service to businesses and residents. The council submitted its 2018-2019 Planning Performance Framework (PPF) to Scottish Ministers and received a highly positive response. Across the 13 performance indicators assessed, 10 were rated ‘green’ and three ‘amber’.