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Specialist contractors are on site and work is well underway on the £200,000 project to upgrade the lighting, including additional performance lighting, around Dunoon bandstand. With completion just a few weeks away, ducts are in place and the lighting columns and cabling will installed by the end of this week. The next step will be to put finishing touches to the blockwork paving, including power washing and spraying for weeds. Work on the colour-selectable lighting for Castle Gardens will start on 31 August.

Following pressure from communities and ������, Scottish Government has committed to finding a permanent solution for the Rest and Be Thankful. This step in the right direction is welcomed and the council urges further commitment to the urgent delivery of a solution. Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, made the announcement at the A83 Taskforce group today, convened at the request of the council, with cross party support from local parliamentarians.

Positive progress has been made in achieving a number of the outcomes set out in the 2017-2020 ����Ů�� and Bute Children and Young People’s Service Plan (CYPSP). At today’s meeting of ����Ů��’s Community Services Committee, members approved the third annual review of the plan, and were updated on the good practice to date.

Economic recovery, following the impact of COVID-19, has started in ����Ů�� and Bute.  This positive progress was highlighted in a report to the council’s Business Continuity Committee (BCC): in line with the Scottish Government’s road map to recovery, local businesses are starting to operate again across ����Ů�� and Bute, construction has re-started on area regeneration, affordable housing and other projects, manufacturing has re-started, and visitors are returning to ����Ů�� and Bute in good numbers.

BT is running a consultation on the proposed removal of a number of public phone boxes across ������ and Bute. As part of this process, the council is gathering feedback from the public on whether they would like the phone boxes to remain, be removed, or even be adopted by the community.

“The distilling industry – both whisky and gin – plays an increasingly important role in the rural economy and international reputation of ����Ů�� and Bute. This new fund has the potential to help the industry play a key role in protecting our climate too.” These were words of Councillor Aileen Morton, chair of the council’s Climate Change Environmental Action Group, as the UK Government announced a new £10m Green Distillery Fund.

������ is now delivering 1140 hours of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) across the area. The expansion is part of a national policy introduced by the Scottish Government to increase the number of funded childcare hours from 600 to 1140, for all three and four year olds, and eligible two year olds.

In response to today’s announcement by the Scottish Government, that down-graded results will be revised to match schools’ assessments, Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly said:   “We want all our young people to have the chance to succeed. Getting results that match their hard work is the least that pupils can expect, especially this year.

Service back to normal from w/b 17th August The glass bin collection service on Mull and Tiree will restart from week beginning Monday 17th August. You can check your glass bin collection dates on the council website at /planning-and-environment/bin-collection

Responding to COVID-19 is expected to cost ����Ů�� more than £12 million. A report going to the Business Continuity Committee (BCC) on Thursday 13th August shows that costs are a mixture primarily of increased expenditure and loss of income: