ÓûÂþɬ

ÓûÂþɬ Council has approved a grant of up to £145,000 for new worker accommodation on Islay to help address the ongoing housing emergency.

Over the coming months ÓûÂþɬ Council will be engaging in a conversation with communities to develop a long- term vision for the sustainable growth and development of the Helensburgh area.

Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh is celebrating after the school received Platinum status in the Investors in Young People Award Scheme, the highest accolade in the programme. The latest achievement makes it the first school in Scotland to gain national recognition at bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels.

ÓûÂþɬ Council is making improvements to its household recycling facility at Glengorm, Mull, before moving to its sites at Helensburgh, Islay, Coll, and Colonsay.​

Work has started on five play parks in and around Campbeltown, thanks to an £186,000 share of £938,000 of funding, allocated to ÓûÂþɬ, by the Scottish Government.

Tarbert’s newly refurbished playpark will be named for the late John McAlpine, the former councillor who played a key role in campaigning to ensure the project was able to secure the funding it needed to make it a reality.

Funding from HITRANS, totalling over £1.5m, will be used to develop improved connections between Islay and Jura, and Seil and Luing.

A huge amount of work is ongoing in ÓûÂþɬ to tackle the area’s housing emergency.

ÓûÂþɬ Council has nominated four island projects in the area for a share of funding from the Scottish Government’s Islands Programme.

At a meeting of the council’s Environment, Development and Infrastructure committee, councillors agreed to introduce the new grant scheme to support owners and tenants of empty business properties to return their properties to productive use.