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Community groups wanting to build affordable homes in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute will now be able to benefit from the council’s Strategic Housing Fund.   At a recent meeting of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, members agreed to extend the funding criteria to include community groups, as well as registered social landlords, providing they secure a Rural Housing Fund and/or Islands Housing Fund grant from the Scottish Government.  

UPDATE 3 July 2019: The completion date for these works has been amended to Monday 22 July, and the amended timetable will remain in place until then.   Work to protect the long-term integrity of the quay wall at Rothesay Ferry Terminal is now due to begin next month.

A new quick, simple way to pay for parking, wherever you are, is available in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute. PaySmarti is a fully digital, modern way to pay for parking through a simple phone call, using a debit or credit card, and give your car registration and location. Each purchase of parking time is automatically updated on the warden’s handheld computer leading to reduced errors, fewer appeals and lower costs.

Today is World Social Work Day so, to celebrate the wide range of services that our social work teams provide, we’re dedicating this whole week to them.   We caught up with Ann Martin who is a Through Care After Care Social Worker in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute, working with young care experienced people and key partner agencies to make life better for our young people.  

A total of 37 empty homes were brought back into use in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute from April through to December last year – exceeding ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥â€™s annual target of 25.   At a meeting of the council’s Community Services Committee today (Thursday) members also heard how there have been 62 affordable houses completed during the third quarter of the year.   Twenty of these homes are in Bowmore, Islay; 16 are in Lochgilphead; and 26 are in Succoth. A further 41 homes are due to be completed by the end of next month.  

Young people in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute are achieving well in literacy and numeracy according to figures published by the Scottish Government.   The Scottish Government collects data every year which details pupils’ achievements in reading, writing, listening and talking and numeracy. These are known as ‘Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels’ and focus specifically on pupils in P1, P4, P7 and S3.  

¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥â€™s Special Projects and Estates teams are continuing to investigate the commercial potential of three Oban car parks after a number of developers declared an interest in them.   Albany Street, Tweeddale Street and the Esplanade car parks were marketed by the council last year, inviting interested parties to come forward and explore commercial opportunities, while maintaining or improving parking provision within the town.  

¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ is making positive progress in preparing for the implementation of the fully funded 1140 hours of free Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute by 2020.   At a meeting of the council’s Community Services Committee today (Thursday), members heard how 27 ELC services in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and Bute are already providing parents and carers with the option to access the additional hours, which are funded by the Scottish Government.  

Members of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥â€™s Community Services have agreed to carry out a consultation to consider the possibility of widening the catchment area of St Columba’s Primary School in Oban.   The consultation comes as a result of a formal request from St Columba’s Parent Council. St Columba’s is the only denominational school within 80 miles of Oban, and the catchment area currently only covers the Oban and Dunbeg area. The consultation will consider rezoning this to the same as the mainland catchment area for Oban High School.  

‘Parents have a key role as prime educators and carers of their children. By working in partnership, schools and parents can develop children’s attitudes to learning and ensure they achieve their full potential.’   These were the words of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥â€™s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly, following approval of a revised Parental Engagement Strategy for 2019-2021 at today’s Community Services Committee.