Nearly 100 planning applications are reported as having waited at least a year for a decision to be made by Argyll and Bute Council. A planned development for 200 houses at a farm site outside Cardross is among those waiting to be ruled on by the authority. Taylor Wimpey’s proposal for planning permission in principle for Geilston Farm was validated by the council on January 5, 2025.

The new ‘mansion tax’ announced this week will affect 244 homes in Argyll and Bute, an MSP has said. The Greens’ Ariane Burgess said her party had secured the move through budget negotiations. It means that those living in homes worth over £1m will pay more Council Tax, which she says could affect up to 244 of the most expensive homes in Argyll and Bute.

More than 500 people signed a petition opposing possible cuts to fire services in Helensburgh. MSP Jackie Baillie presented the signatures, gathered as part of her petition against the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s proposals to downgrade services, at Helensburgh Fire Station. The Dumbarton constituency MSP took to the streets to encourage residents to support her petition, as well as running an online version.

The leader of Argyll and Bute Council’s largest opposition group has expressed concern at the absence of the Rest and Be Thankful from the Scottish Government’s budget statement. Conservative Peter Wallace also said the budget was “a missed opportunity” to provide fair funding to local councils. Finance secretary Shona Robison announced the budget in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar MSP said the following day that his party would not oppose it.

Plan for renovation work on the clock tower of a church near Helensburgh have been submitted to council officials. The congregation of Rhu and Shandon Parish Church launched an appeal in 2023 to raise £90,000 for repairs to its stonework tower. An application for listed building consent has now been lodged with Argyll and Bute Council for works including the replacement of leadwork to the flat roof and minor repairs to the four clock faces.

A van driver left the scene after a collision in which a female cyclist was injured yesterday, police have said. The crash happened on the A814, near to Cardross Crematorium, at around 7.50am. The van left the scene prior to police arrived while the cyclist was taken to the Vale of Leven Hospital for treatment. Police Scotland say inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and trace the vehicle involved.

Elders with combined service of over 500 years to their kirk and communities were recognised at an event in Cove. To mark the formation of the Lochside Union of Craigrownie, Garelochhead and St Modan’s churches, in 2025 elders in the pre-existing Kirk Sessions were honoured. During a joint morning service in Craigrownie Church, Cove, Rev Christine Murdoch presented certificates of long service, signed by the Moderator of the General Assembly, Rt Rev Rosemary Frew to Jeanette Caldwell, Helen Bain, Ken Bradshaw, Alistair Cameron, Grace Cathcart, Eleanor Williamson, Joyce DeVenny, Terry Wade, John McMurtrie, Ishbel Scaife and Jane Wright.

Argyll and Bute will receive the lowest increase in funding of any council in Scotland next year. The council – run by an SNP-led coalition – has already warned that it faces a ‘black hole’ in its finances in 2025-26. And fears for jobs and services – as well the risk or steep Council Tax increases – will only intensify after the news.

Council officials have spent over £75,000 on consultation for the Helensburgh to Dumbarton cycle path – when the preferred route could soon be scrapped. Argyll and Bute Council advised local councillors in December that it was considering moving the phase one route of the path, between Helensburgh and Cardross, away from the railway line, with it being adjacent to the A814 road instead.

Wild venison has been added to the menu for pupils at  Inveraray Primary School. Argyll and Bute Council introduced wild venison to school menus on Islay and Jura last year - due to its success, the award-winning initiative has now been extended to Inveraray. The venison served at Inveraray Primary comes from Argyll Estates and is processed by husband-and-wife team Tom and Katie Kirsop at their game larder, Argyll Game Ltd - ensuring the meat is truly local and sustainably sourced.

The UK Government has been urged to rethink a £140m fund which excludes Argyll and Bute as well as some other rural areas in Scotland Argyll and Bute Council is joining other local authorities across the Highlands and islands region in calling for changes in the new Local Growth Fund allocation. The fund, launched last week, is designed to drive growth and boost living standards, and is part of the replacement funding scheme for the former UK Shared Prosperity Fund for which final awards were made last year.

The tenth annual Pocket Garden Design Competition for children has been launched by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Two years ago pupils at Rosneath Primary School reached the national final of the event, which aims to connect children with their food and nature. Their design (below) re-used an old sink as a bird bath, an old washing machine drum as a planter and creates a haven for bees and frogs as well as for people.

A street on Loch Lomondside is one of the 20 prettiest in the UK, according to a  national newspaper. Pier Road in Luss was rated in the list drawn up by the Daily Telegraph. The newspaper states: “Little Luss, on Loch Lomond’s western shore, has been a place of pilgrimage since Saint Kessog arrived in the sixth century. “It’s now a conservation village, with Pier Road its prettiest stretch, a street of comely 19th-century cottages built to house workers at the nearby slate quarries.”

A senior councillor has welcomed the possibility of change to legislation for local authorities to set a visitor levy. The Scottish Government has announced the Visitor Levy (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill, which could enable councils to set a fixed rate visitor levy as opposed to a percentage if they so wish. It is hoped that the Bill could be passed by Parliament “within the current session”.

The award-winning Chloé Piano Trio will be performing in Helensburgh this weekend. Recent winners of a Tunnell Trust Award, their concert on Sunday opens with Mozart’s Piano Trio in C major KV548, which is followed by works by renowned women composers, Judith Weir and Amy Beach. Judith Weir’s O Viridissima was premiered in 2015 and is a recomposition of a 12th-century monodic hymn.

Rosneath Peninsula Amenity Society will hold is first fund-raising event of 2026 at the end of this month. The coffee morning from 10am on Friday January 30 will help to support Cove Community Library and the historical archives held there. The amenity society has run the community library since 2010 and has an interesting collection of old photos and documents related to the two villages which can be viewed at the library.

Traffic lights will return to the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful tomorrow. There have been no roadworks on that stretch off the trunk road since before Christmas, but from Monday onwards traffic lights and a 30mph speed limit will again be in place 24 hours a day. Contractors BEAR Scotland say this phase of work will continue until early summer.

Images of Clyde Puffers, Bowling harbour and Royal Gourock Yacht Club will be for sale at an auction in Glasgow this month. The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction is being by McTear's on Thursday. Among the lots is Clyde Puffers, by Herbert Whone (1925 - 2011); oil on canvas, and with an image size of 56cm x 72cm it has an estimate of £2,000 to £4,000.

A mountain rescue volunteer is tackling the Berlin Marathon this year to raise money for her team. This will be the final World Marathon Major for Becky Beale, who hopes to raise £1,000 for the Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team. She has already completed the other five world major events, so the Berlin event in September will be a special milestone.

Rhu and Shandon Community Council is appealing for new members - and in particular for a secretary. Convener John McGall said: “As many people will know our secretary of many years, Dr Jean Cook, very sadly passed away unexpectedly before Christmas. “The community council urgently requires someone to take on the role of secretary, and in general we would welcome new members, especially some younger people and more women.”

Planning applications to fell trees in Cove and Rhu 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: 26/00010/TPO Community council: Cove and Kilcreggan…

A fund which will pay thousands of pounds to local causes is opened for applications today. Last year Helensburgh HEART's Giving Back Fund awarded 17 grants to local groups and causes, totalling over £20,000. A spokesperson said: “We anticipate that in 2026 we'll be able to push our funding total even higher than 2025. “If you think you may qualify for a funding grant, don't delay - get that application in!”

Argyll and Bute Council is set to have more choice in how it applies any potential visitor levy after new legislation was published. The authority paused the visitor levy process for the area in September in order to seek clarity on possible changes to legislation. It has now been announced that a new Bill could see councils being allowed to set a visitor levy as a fixed amount should they wish to do so instead of a percentage.

Submariners raised nearly £5,000 for charity – while submerged on a nuclear deterrence patrol. The crew of HMS Vengeance held a series of fundraising events on board, including coffee mornings. And they raised £4,880 which was split between the Submarine Family, the Onboard Welfare Fund (£1,440 each) and Endometriosis UK (£2,000). Chief Petty Officer Sneddon said he wanted to support the fundraising as well as raising morale for the crew.

A ceilidh and dinner in honour of Scotland’s national bard is being held in Helensburgh this month. A Burns supper is being organised by Helensburgh HEART in the town’s civic centre, with Robert Ryan on hand to host with his trademark wit and warmth. The evening will be relatively informal in approach, with fewer speeches, more music and more time for dancing.