ColGlen Community Council are holding their AGM on Monday 9th June, 7.30pm in the Glendaruel Hall, followed by a standard community council meeting using the standing agenda.
All are welcome to attend, we look forward to seeing you there.
Here is the Agenda and the minute of last year’s general meeting.
The ‘Communities’ on-line information session is taking place on Wednesday 4^th June at 7pm and will run for 60 minutes. This is a Teams session – you can register online to attend the session – EPAS Communities Information Session -Scottish Environment Protection Agency – Citizen Space<https://consultation.sepa.org.uk/compliance-and-beyond/9d022dcd/>.
Useful resources for this Communities Information Session are:
Video explainer<https://youtu.be/tqFBBChG2gQ>– SEPA’s YouTube video explaining EPAS
EPAS Consultation FINAL 31.03.25.pdf <https://consultation.sepa.org.uk/compliance-and-beyond/epas/supporting_documents/EPAS%20Consultation%20FINAL%2031.03.25.pdf> – which you can read in advance and share with others
SEPA’s consultation hub <https://consultation.sepa.org.uk/compliance-and-beyond/epas/> – where you can participate in the consultation – *by 30^th June*
SEPA’s approach to regulation <https://www.sepa.org.uk/regulations/how-we-regulate/our-approach-to-regulation/> – to acquaint yourself with SEPA’s approach
Scottish regulators’ strategic code of practice <https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-regulators-strategic-code-of-practice/> – with which we comply
Along with many of our usual reports and topical issues, including the Local Place Plan, we plan to discuss how we deal with the imminent Digital Switchover as a community. We have heard how the present plans by the UK & Scottish Governments do not seem to have any idea of what this will mean for a rural community like ours. If you have worries, views or would like more information, please come along to the meeting at the Colintraive Village Hall at 7.30pm on Monday evening.
We will be following our Standing Agenda.
Argyll and Bute Council are undertaking a review of the Scheme for Establishment of Community Councils in Argyll and Bute. A public consultation is open and your views are welcomed (link below)!
The first stage of the review closes on 22 June 2025, and a second stage is anticipated towards the end of August.
The review precedes the full Community Council elections due to take place in August 2026.
https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/my-council/community-council-review-2026
Everyone is welcome to attend the Community Council’s next meeting on Monday 14th April, 7.30pm at Glendaruel Village Hall.
The meeting will follow our standing agenda, with topical issues including Cowal Community Energy, Local Place Plan, Cruach Mhor Windfarm Trust and Harbour Order Consultation.
Do come along to hear more and share your view.
Interested in supporting local people and community projects? You could be a candidate for election as a Trustee of the Cruach Mhor Windfarm Trust, the grant-giving body for the Cruach Mhor Windfarm, sited above Glendaruel.
The Windfarm Trust is seeking to elect three Trustees for a 4-year term. If there are more than three candidates a community ballot will be held. The closing date for nominations is 4pm on Wednesday 23rd April 2025.
Visit cmwft.scot or email info@cmwft.scot for forms and information.
*Candidates must live in the ColGlen Community Council area, be 16 years or older on the closing date, and must not be an employee of either Argyll and Bute Council or ScottishPower Renewables.
On Friday morning, March 14th at 10am residents in Colglen are invited to take part in the Place Plan Proposal Creation discussion at the Colintraive Village Hall. This is the critical stage for the whole Local Place Plan process, so do come along to make your voice heard!
Freelance Contract for the position of
Secretary of the Community Council
£20 per hour / 50-70 hours per annum estimated.
The Community Council is seeking a secretary to work freelance on a flexible contract with between 50 and 70 hours per annum. With attention to detail, an understanding of local government and voluntary sector and a passion for our community the successful candidate will help the CC in its efforts to improve the life-chances
of all its residents.
As noted in our minutes in November, and elsewhere, our next meeting will be on March 10th at 7 pm with the express purpose of hosting Bute Community Council at the Colintraive Village Hall in a joint discussion on common issues, such as Calmac, a Fixed Link and other matters.
The Community Council has been contacted about several surveys which we list here:
The first is a survey on budgets and services from the Council. This is extremely important as they are looking for millions in savings. Help our community by insisting our lifelines are not cut, and that the council find different ways to balance their budgets. You have until 14th February:
https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/form/budget-survey
“With a budget gap of £27 million over the next five years, we do not have enough funding to meet demands. We’re asking you what services should council budgets prioritise?
“Over the past 10 years, we have delivered more than £50 million in savings to continue providing services to our communities. We continue to look for more savings but the size of the budget gap means we face having to deliver further savings in the years ahead.”
In the three years to 2019 the c ommunity, through “Kyles Community Broadband” attempted to procure fibre optic broadband for the community. With a budget of £1.5M promised KCB got as far as the competitive tender, but were stymied by a combination of budget and capacity of the organisations tendering. At that point the Scottish Government promised to make our area a priority after the ten areas already allocated official priority status. Over the intervening years, despite a six-monthly reminder from the CC, nothing has happened, or has been intimated to happen. Therefore this survey is very important and we encourage everyone to answer it. Here’s what the SG say about it:
“The Scottish Government is investing in broadband infrastructure in Your area through its Reaching 100% (R100) programme and we’re keen to get your support to help gather feedback.
“The £600+ million programme is extending access to faster broadband to sub-30 Megabits per second homes and businesses who are unlikely to receive upgrades through commercial plans. You can find out more about R100 at: gov.scot/digitalconnectivity.
“To understand whether and how households and organisations have benefited from R100, the Scottish Government is undertaking an evaluation of the programme. As part of this, we are surveying households and organisations who:
“The surveys are available online and can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/R100Evaluation“
“People in council areas across Scotland are considering a visitor levy for their area and we would like you to have the same chance to consider one for Argyll and Bute.
“Why? Because at a time when funding for public services is shrinking, a visitor levy is an option for raising investment to sustain local services used by visitors, as well as residents, and to keep the area as a top visitor attraction.
“Support for individual tourism businesses, or for extending the tourism season are examples of how levy income could be used. Services used by the visitor economy, and so could benefit from levy funding, include for example, waste, roads, transport and leisure services.
“We are running a 12-week consultation and invite you to take the time to find out more about what a levy could mean for Argyll and Bute, and then give your view.”
You can find more information on the council website, plus: