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  Councillor Maurice Corry, Provost of ����ֱ�� and Bute has paid tribute to Her Majesty, saying:   “We are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  Her decades of tireless service to the nation mean that she is the only Monarch most of us have ever known. Throughout our lives she has celebrated the nation’s successes and commiserated with us in times of challenge.  Her role was high profile and international, with her work extending across the Commonwealth she so clearly valued. It is difficult to imagine her absence.

Twenty-three footpaths across ����ֱ�� and Bute will benefit from an additional £500,000 investment as part of an ongoing programme to improve the quantity and quality of dropped kerb crossing points, and overall service improvement works. The work includes resurfacing footpaths and improving access for all abilities by dropping kerbs at crossing points. Work will start towards the end of the year across a number of locations including Islay, Rothesay, Mull, Helensburgh, Innellan and Oban.

New figures published by Skills Development Scotland show that 93.9% of young people in ����ֱ�� and Bute are currently in education, employment or training, putting the area in 5th place out of all 32 Scottish local authorities. The Annual Participation Measure reports on the economic and employment activity of 16-19 year olds in Scotland and is the source of the Scottish Government’s National Performance indicator. This year’s figures show a 0.4% rise in ����ֱ�� and Bute compared with 2021 and a jump from 10th to 5th in the national table.

Did you know you can vote in council elections if you’re 16 or over? There is an opportunity to have your say in who represents your community with a council by-election in the Kintyre and the Islands ward, where there is a vacancy for one councillor to sit on ����ֱ��. Six candidates are standing for election - they are listed below in alphabetical order by surname:

Replacing street lights and columns is part of an ongoing commitment to reduce carbon emissions, improve efficiency and create a climate friendly ����ֱ�� and Bute. Work is underway to upgrade lighting columns and street lights as part of a £740,000 Street Lighting Improvement programme. At the same time, work to replace standard bulbs with low energy LED lights will complete across Oban, Lorn and the Isles, as part of a £3.9 million LED Replacement Luminaires programme.

Work is progressing to deliver a £15.5 million programme of investment for ����ֱ��’s ports and harbours in 2022/23.A report to today’s meeting of the Harbour Board provides an update on these infrastructure and passenger-service improvement initiatives. The council runs 39 ports and harbours. Its Asset Management Plan covers a rolling 10 year period, and includes initiatives in progress as well as projects in development.

Ongoing regeneration across ����ֱ�� and Bute is helping to attract more people and jobs and make towns and villages more attractive places to live, work and visit. ����ֱ�� is delivering a programme of investment across 18 large-scale projects worth £35 million to the area. The council is committing over £5 million and working with partner organisations and external funders to lead on a range of projects to deliver community benefits and help attract further investment.  Projects include:

11,000 tonnes of salt, 31 frontline vehicles and a dedicated team monitoring winter conditions – all part of the council’s 2022/23 winter plan to keep ����ֱ�� and Bute moving. The £2.12 million plan will help keep 750 miles of priority routes open for business and treat footpaths where there is heavy snow or persistent freezing conditions. It outlines priorities and resources required throughout the winter months through to spring. Councillor Andrew Kain, Policy Lead for Roads and Transport:

Ulva Primary School has received gold accreditation in UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting School programme. UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is presented to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s’ rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school. Assessors visited the school, where they spoke with staff and pupils and highlighted the following strengths:

Do you want to make sure your community’s voice is heard where and when it matters? If you care about your community and want to get more involved in local life, why not consider standing for election to your local Community Council? Community Council elections will take place across ����ֱ�� and Bute in October 2022. Taking part in these elections - whether as a voter or a candidate - gives you opportunities to have your say in local representation and community life.