Practical proposed steps for Argyll and Bute.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Build on a project already under construction
Bowmore Hall has moved into construction.
A community building can support local groups if access is affordable.
Evidence
Who could lead: Argyll and Bute Council.
- Start now
Publish how groups can plan future use of the hall.
- Over the next few years
Set affordable access and maintenance arrangements.
- Over the longer term
Track use by island residents across the year.
How to judge progress
Starting point: August 2026 council progress update.
Measure: Confirm the public opening and actual use.
Trade-off: Construction progress does not guarantee affordable running costs.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Bowmore Hall renewal →
Proposal
Treat worker housing as part of local service capacity
Tobermory worker accommodation is a named response in the regeneration programme.
Without suitable homes, employers may struggle to recruit locally.
Evidence
Who could lead: Argyll and Bute Council.
- Start now
Describe the intended residents and allocation rules.
- Over the next few years
Deliver suitable homes with clear rent and tenancy terms.
- Over the longer term
Check whether vacancies in essential services fall.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Programme development stage; no completed accommodation claimed.
Measure: Track homes occupied and resident affordability.
Trade-off: Worker allocations must be explained alongside wider housing need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Tobermory worker accommodation →
Proposal
Make visitor investment useful to Tiree residents
The Tiree Gateway proposal includes public amenities as well as visitor facilities.
Local access should be designed into the business case.
Evidence
Who could lead: Argyll and Bute Council.
- Start now
Publish the proposed public facilities and operating model.
- Over the next few years
Seek funding only with transport and service capacity understood.
- Over the longer term
Measure resident use and seasonal operating costs.
How to judge progress
Starting point: October 2026 first-stage funding bid.
Measure: Keep bid, award and construction stages separate.
Trade-off: Visitor accommodation can compete for scarce labour and infrastructure.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Tiree Gateway →
Proposal
Do not count funding bids as delivered improvements
The Tiree Gateway remains a funding proposal.
Benefits and opening dates depend on later decisions.
Evidence
Who could lead: Argyll and Bute Council.
- Start now
Explain what happens if the bid is not selected.
- Over the next few years
Phase work around secured finance and local delivery capacity.
- Over the longer term
Review whether the chosen design remains affordable.
How to judge progress
Starting point: First-stage expression of interest only.
Measure: Publish the funding decision and any changed scope.
Trade-off: Smaller phases may be more deliverable but provide fewer facilities.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Tiree Gateway →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
The average home price is £189,000 (July 2026) in Argyll and Bute council area. This is about £7,000 lower than the Scotland average for the same month.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The average home price is £189,000 (July 2026) in Argyll and Bute council area.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average home price →
Tobermory worker accommodation →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
34% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or higher (20 March 2022) in Argyll and Bute council area. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.1% in Helensburgh and Lomond South to 23.2% in South Kintyre — a gap of 14.1 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in South Kintyre and Helensburgh and Lomond South; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 34% with a degree or higher; 20 March 2022. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 9.1% in Helensburgh and Lomond South to 23.2% in South Kintyre — a gap of 14.1 percentage points. 20 March 2022; 11 of 11 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or higher →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Tobermory worker accommodation →
Tiree Gateway →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Recorded-crime figures cover the whole Argyll and Bute council area; they do not identify individual wards.
These are police-recorded crimes under Scottish counting rules. They cannot be ranked alongside the mapped incidents shown for other UK nations.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Bowmore Hall renewal →
Tobermory worker accommodation →
Tiree Gateway →
