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Events highlighting plans to remove the need to apply for planning consent when building new homes will be held in Mull and Lochgilphead in June. º£½ÇÉçÇø and Bute Council is proposing to introduce Simplified Planning Zones (SPZ) at Salen on Mull and in Lochgilphead. The zones would allow certain homes to be built without the need to apply for traditional planning consent, making the process faster and much easier for people thinking about building their own home.

A young woman from Campbeltown is excelling in her career as an apprentice mechanic with º£½ÇÉçÇø and Bute Council, having just passed her Cat C HGV driving test.   Ashleigh Conner, aged 19, has always had a keen interest in cars and fixing things, and was quick to apply when she saw the Council’s apprentice vacancy advertised on the My Job Scotland website.  

Graduates living in º£½ÇÉçÇø and Bute are being offered financial support to become fully qualified secondary school teachers without the need to move away from the area. º£½ÇÉçÇø and Bute Council has been working in partnership with the Universities of Dundee and the Highlands and Islands, to agree a programme, subject to approval by the General Teaching Council of Scotland, which will see student teachers based in local schools over an 18 month period.

Dunoon’s Queen's Hall is on track to host its first public event on Saturday, July 28, after a £12million project to transform the historic building. A concert by ABBA Mania on July 28 will be the first public event at the venue since it closed for refurbishment in 2015, and it will be swiftly followed by a sold-out performance by The Proclaimers on Friday, August 3.

º£½ÇÉçÇø and Bute Council reaffirmed its commitment to help tackle poverty in the area, when members of the Policy and Resources Committee approved a new draft Anti-Poverty Strategy and Plan.   The strategy details the issues that we face, particularly with our geography, demographics and our economic size, and sets out a clear vision:  

If you care about the future of º£½ÇÉçÇø and Bute, please show your support for a rural growth deal. This is the message from º£½ÇÉçÇø and Bute Council who, with public, private and voluntary sector partners, is seeking what has been described as ‘transformational investment’ from the UK and Scottish Governments.   Council Leader, Councillor Aileen Morton explained:  

A plan to improve facilities at Tarbert Harbour and attract more visitors to the village has been approved by Councillors. Members of the Council’s Policy and Resources committee today (May 24) gave the green light for the improvements, which will be delivered in four stages at a cost of just over £700,000.

º£½ÇÉçÇø and Bute Council’s Road Safety Team has joined forces with Scottish Biker Magazine to host an event in Inveraray this summer, aimed at providing motorcyclists with advice on how they can improve their riding on the road.   The Rider Development Day will take place on 15 July and is targeted at motorcyclists who have not taken any further training since passing their bike test.   

Pupils at Dunbeg Primary School will soon have a new outdoor learning area to enjoy thanks to a fabulous example of community spirit. Staff, pupils and parents have worked together to reclaim an area of overgrown woodland on the school grounds, improving on the popular outdoor learning area at the school by expanding its size and offering even more learning opportunities for the children. The school named the project ‘Pitch Perfect.’