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Communities across ����ֱ�� and Bute will join the rest of the country in electing their local councillors in May this year. If you’re passionate about your community and want to make a difference to local life, have you considered standing for election to represent your local community on ����ֱ��? Becoming a councillor is challenging but highly rewarding, offering opportunities to represent the people who live in your local area as well as involvement in decisions about issues of local and national significance.

Plans for a drone hub to service Scotland’s islands with unmanned flights have taken a major step forward with UK Government funding. ����ֱ�� has welcomed confirmation of the award of more than £170,000 UK Government Community Renewal funding to create an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Innovation logistics hub at Oban airport.

Next week, 24th to 30th January, is Welcome to Your Vote week - the ideal time to start conversations with young people about democracy, politics, and all aspects of voting. The Electoral Commission has created a set of online resources for young people, and those who work with them, to get the discussion started and help young people find out how to get and use their vote. This includes an overview of government and responsibilities at all levels, information about campaigns and how they work, and how young people can get involved in democracy.

Following Scottish Power Renewables today being awarded the seabed rights to develop an off-shore windfarm off Islay, as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind Leasing, Leader of ����ֱ��, Councillor Robin Currie said: “This has the potential to bring significant benefits to ����ֱ�� and Bute, as well as more widely across Scotland.  It could increase by 200% the amount of clean energy we produce in ����ֱ�� and Bute, and make a major contribution to getting Scotland and ����ֱ�� and Bute to net zero. 

Children who turn five between 1 March 2022 and 28 February 2023 can be registered for primary school during the week beginning Monday 17 January 2022. This year’s primary one registration will take place online, via the council website, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The wheels are in motion on exciting plans for a new cycle path linking Helensburgh, Cardross and Dumbarton which will deliver a further boost to ����ֱ�� and Bute’s climate friendly credentials.   ����ֱ�� is asking members of the public to give their views on the proposed design for the new cycle and walking path to run between the towns.   As part of the Council’s consultation with the local community, a survey asking for views on the preferred design of the path has been launched online at /forms/cyclepath  

I began last year’s message saying it was a year like no other. We’ve had our ups and downs again this year, but I think we approach the festive season with more optimism. We’ve benefitted from the roll out of the covid vaccine and this Christmas we can look forward to spending time with more of our families. Nonetheless, we must be cautious as covid is still with us. We remember those people affected by this awful pandemic and those who have lost loved ones. My thoughts and wishes are with them as ever at this time of year.

Members of ����ֱ��’s Community Services have agreed to begin statutory proceedings to consider the possibility of widening the catchment area of St Joseph’s Primary School. The Council inherited the existing catchment boundary from Strathclyde Council in 1995. It covers most of the Helensburgh and Lomond area, with the exception of a corridor along the A82 from Glen Douglas to the boundary with West Dunbartonshire Council.

Secondary pupils in ����ֱ�� and Bute received praise for their latest attainment and achievement successes when the Council’s Community Services Committee presented members with a breakdown of their 2020/21 outcomes at today’s meeting. The results analysis for attainment shows that:

  Paul Collins (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party) has been elected as a councillor for the Lomond North ward of ����ֱ�� following a by-election on Thursday 16th December. Paul Collins was elected at stage 4 of the process, receiving 742 first preference votes. There were 1,842 valid ballot papers, 19 rejected ballot papers, giving a percentage turnout of 29.6%.