This week’s decision by the Court of Session to back Argyll and Bute Council over its plans for a seafront supermarket have been welcomed by officials. And a leading councillor said he was ‘saddened’ that the development had bene delayed by the legal challenge. Helensburgh Community Council sight a judicial review of the way Argyll and Bute had handled consultations about the site, raising £20,290 in online crowdfunding.

A leading councillor has said that a health and social care emergency should be declared in Argyll and Bute. A motion to be put before a full council meeting next week will also ask the authority to request that the Scottish Government review funding allocations and ensure that money is available. The newly-appointed leader of the council’s Conservative group has also said that without urgent action, the area’s ability to care for its most vulnerable residents within their communities is at risk.

Planning applications in Cove, Helensburgh and Cardross are among those to be validated by Argyll and Bute Council this week. The full list of applications in the Helensburgh and Lomond area is below - for details of an individual application, go to the council's website and use the reference number. Reference number: 25/01863/ADV Community council: Cardross Proposal: Erection of illuminated fascia sign and window vinyls…

Council officials are considering whether to withdraw all involvement from the running of public toilets in Argyll and Bute. A savings option being proposed by the authority would see it end its participation in the running of the facilities, whether by closure, sale or community asset transfer. A report featuring various savings options will be put before the council on Wednesday…

One of the best-known and long-established shop in Helensburgh has announced its closure. The Cat's Pyjamas, a family business which sells lingerie, nightwear and swimwear, has been trading on West Clyde Street for 36 years. But this week they said that rising costs and online competition had them to call it a day. A message to customers said: “With heavy hearts we announce that we will be closing our family business The Cat's Pyjamas.

Emergency care responses for adults across Argyll and Bute could be cut completely, with up to 50 jobs being lost. Cuts to are packages for the disabled and day services, plus the loss of nine full-time equivalent social work jobs – covering children, families and adults – could also be imposed. Officials say that the area’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) faces an £18m black hole over the next three years.

A public sculpture marking the Highland Boundary Fault will be unveiled in Kilcreggan next month. Highland Boundary Fault Stile has been completed by Maya Rose Edwards and will be in the King George V playing field. It will be launched from 12 noon to 1pm on Saturday December 6, when everyone will be welcome for a Q&A with the artist as well as geologist Bill Henderson, with hot drinks and nibbles available.

A new chief executive officer has been appointed by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity’s trustee board. Samantha (Sam) Nicolson, who has been serving as Interim CEO, will start with immediate effect. “I am so pleased that the board has appointed me into the CEO role on a permanent basis,” she said. “Having served the charity and our beneficiaries for 17 years now, I feel I have a good grounding in what is required for this role and what is needed to take the charity forward in these uncertain times.

Cove Park will be the subject of Cove and Kilcreggan Literary Society’s final talk before the Christmas break. Alexia Holt, director of the arts centre on the Rosneath Peninsula, will talk to members and guests in Cove Burgh Hall on Monday December 8. Her talk is titled Cove Park - A unique residency in rural Scotland for national and international artists, creative practitioners, researchers, and our local community.

The way has been cleared for a supermarket to be built on Helensburgh seafront after a legal challenge failed. The town’s community council sought a judicial review in the Court of Session in a bid to stop the development, saying Argyll and Bute had acted unlawfully in not handled consultations properly. The community council raised £20,290 in online crowdfunding towards legal costs estimated at £38,670.

Outstanding pianist Lauren Zhang, winner of the 2018 BBC Young Musician Competition, will play in Helensburgh this month. She is scheduled to perform an all-Chopin concert in the Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre at 7.30pm on Saturday November 29. Chopin is a firm favourite in the piano repertoire, renowned for the richness and brilliance of his compositions. He was celebrated for the way he transformed the piano into a vehicle for intimate reflection and heroic grandeur, and this will be evident in Lauren’s chosen programme of ballades and polonaises.

A potential visitor levy in Argyll and Bute is set to return to the agenda for councillors early in the New Year. Councillors have been invited to attend a specially-convened full council meeting on January 29 – earlier than the full council usually first meets in a calendar year. A council spokesperson has confirmed that the visitor levy will be one of the items on the agenda.

A £15m improvement project on the West Highland Line has been completed. A section of the line was closed for nine days as engineers worked on renewing sections of track, drainage improvements and clearing hazardous vegetation to help protect the line against heavy rainfall and extreme weather conditions. Key elements of the project between Crianlarich and Fort William included: Targeted track renewals, replacing around 10km of rail and more than 9,000 sleepers…

Plans to build thousands of new houses in Helensburgh and Cardross will be discussed at an event later this month. In August it was revealed here that Argyll and Bute Council plans to build between 1,800 and 3,600 new homes in the area after setting aside £200,000 to pay consultants to target the green belt. Freedom of Information inquiries about whether a bypass for Helensburgh was planned gave confusing responses – one request was refused, with the council saying material was ‘still in the course of completion’ and it would ‘involve making internal communications available’.

Planning applications in Carrick Castle and Aberfoyle are among those to be validated by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority this week. The full list is of applications is below - for details of an individual application, go to the national park's website and use the reference number. Reference number: 2025/0301/LBC Community council: Strathard Proposal: Re-slating of roof…

As the festive season approaches, Argyll and Bute Council is encouraging everyone to shop local. The council says the area is home to ‘an incredible variety’ of businesses – from craft makers and artisan food producers to independent retailers and service providers – who all offer something unique. A statement this week said: “Choosing local not only makes your Christmas more personal; it strengthens our communities and boosts the local economy.

There will be a novel way to relax after Black Friday later this month, with Clay for Quietude at Cove Park. It will be part of the Fair Saturday Festival, a global movement that celebrates culture, community and creativity over consumerism. Artist Rhona Patterson will  explore the sensory qualities of clay - its texture, temperature and weight through playful, mindful making.

Officials are ‘faffing around’ and causing delays to 20mph speed limits being introduced in Argyll and Bute, a meeting heard. But the claims at Cove and Kilcreggan Community Council’s November meeting were dismissed as ‘wrong and unfair’ by Argyll and Bute. In other areas such as Highland 30mph limits in residential areas have already been reduced to 20mph, but so far in Argyll and Bute this has only…

Villagers in Rhu are getting ready for their Christmas lights switch-on event late this month. The community event was first held in 2022 and has become a firm favourite with locals, despite the weather not always being ideal. And this year’s event is set for Friday November 28 from 6.30pm to 9pm, with the switch-on itself at 7pm. Music will be provided again by Beano Disco, with vocalist Leah Muir performing – and there will also be performances by the local ukulele group.

The Peninsula Choir will be holding winter concerts next month in both Cove and Rhu. Musical director Moira Frize-Williams has planned an exciting repertoire of festive music ranging from Mozart and Handel to Rodgers & Hammerstein and a ‘Mission Impossible Christmas’ There will be songs old and new with guest musicians, refreshments, a raffle and the chance to catch up with friends to start the festive season.

Charges for closing roads when community events are held should be reduced, a meeting was told. And Argyll & Bute Council has been asked to include cycle races in the legislation as they are ‘an accident waiting to happen’. The council is considering changes to temporary traffic regulation orders (TTROs) after complaints about high costs. On Tuesday night community councillors in Cove and Kilcreggan heard from their secretary Sheelagh O’Reilly that she had replied to Argyll and Bute on their behalf.

A 70s and 80s disco in Helensburgh was deemed a rocking success by local fundraisers. SSAFA, the charity that supports veterans and forces families in the local community, was delighted with the night in the Commodore Hotel, raising over £3,700 despite the inclement weather from Storm Amy. The event was opened by Colonel Stuart MacCrimmon, Commanding Officer of 43 Commando, based at Faslane.

Sailings on the Kilcreggan ferry could be cut as CalMac plans to introduce a new maintenance regime. The state-owned ferry operator is planning to schedule maintenance for all its vessels during normal working hours – equating to either six hours each week or a full 24-hour period each month. The change has already been attacked as ‘a direct cut’ in services by islanders…

Ministry of Defence and private sector staff will be working in Helensburgh’s council’s building, it has been confirmed. A total of 43 desks have been allocated in the Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre, which was opened in 2016 as a flagship after work costing £8.3m. Post-Covid the building has been under-used, with a significant number of Argyll and Bute Council staff working from home.

Volunteers in Cardross have won a national award for their work on the village’s station.l - for the second time. And Helensburgh Upper was commended in the most improved station category in Scotland yesterday in ScotRail’s Community Awards. The annual event presented awards across five categories honouring individuals and groups whose commitment, vision, and passion help make stations more welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring places to travel through.