ÓûÂþɬ

ÓûÂþɬ Council has cut its carbon emissions by a third since 2015/16.   Emissions have now dropped for the fourth year in a row thanks to a range of measures aimed at reducing the carbon footprint created by the council’s business activities.   Measures have included making buildings more energy and heat efficient, replacing traditional lightbulbs with LED, moving to electric or hybrid vehicles and recycling municipal waste.  

Cost of living support, business growth and climate-friendly communities – these are among the initiatives on track to benefit from a £4.5 million investment plan agreed by the council, for submission to the UK Government. The funding is ÓûÂþɬ’s allocation of UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Activities included in the ÓûÂþɬ UKSPF Investment Plan are all aligned to three key investment priorities - communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

Senior secondary pupils across ÓûÂþɬ have cause for celebration today after achieving impressive results in their SQA exams.  This spring, for the first time in three years, S4-S6 pupils in ÓûÂþɬ were presented for examinations.  As a result of the pandemic, the last time our young people sat exams was in 2019.  Therefore, pupils have had no previous experience of sitting SQA exams, and some had their studies interrupted by the requirements of self-isolation for both pupils and staff.

ÓûÂþɬ Council has set up a dedicated web page to keep residents informed about the Campbeltown Flood Protection Scheme (FPS), as the project moves forward. Campbeltown has suffered significant flooding at various times in recent decades due to a variety of factors, but now the council is carrying out a Â£15.215 million scheme that will see a range of improvement works to minimise this risk.

Free period products will now be available to everyone in ÓûÂþɬ through the council’s new My Tribe initiative. Although free period products have been available in schools and community settings since 2018/19, the Scottish Government’s Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 becomes law this month, which means that everyone in Scotland who menstruates can have reasonably convenient access to period products, free of charge, as and when they are required.

Helensburgh’s new £22 million state-of-the art leisure centre is now complete. The main contractors for the project, Heron Bros Ltd, officially handed the building over this week, on time, despite the global construction challenges faced during Covid.

ÓûÂþɬ Council is giving residents the opportunity to make their homes warmer and more energy efficient FREE OF CHARGE. The council has received £2,011,323 from the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme to help residents make a range of energy efficiency improvements to their properties, including external/internal wall insulation, underfloor insulation, cavity wall insulation and loft insulation.

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY KEEP SCOTLAND BEAUTIFUL Environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, has announced that Hermitage Park in ÓûÂþɬ has been presented with a Green Flag Award. The accolade acknowledges quality green open spaces across the country that help to boost our nation's health and wellbeing.

To help keep spending local, support businesses and protect jobs, businesses across ÓûÂþɬ are being encouraged to give their backing to the successful Scotland Loves Local card scheme.

What should a new Mull school campus look like, if funding becomes available for one?  The council is asking for islanders’ views on this question, as a key part of its work to bid for Scottish Government funding for Mull. The Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP) is the Scottish Government’s programme for investment in education. The council is putting together a bid for LEIP funding for a new school campus on Mull. The LEIP does not fully fund projects; if the bid is successful additional funding would have to be secured from other sources.