Councillor's Column - Jan Brown, March 7 2025

Now to the Visitor Levy.

There has a lot been written and said about this and it has the potential to be either very good for Argyll or very bad for Argyll depending on where you sit.

All I’m going to say is there has been no decision taken by council on whether to implement it or not, despite what you may hear.

There is a consultation going on and I would urge everyone to take part in it, make your views known, ask questions, go to the drop in events, take part on-line, but make your mind up where you sit in this and let your councillors and council officers know.

I want as much information as possible, and all my questions answered before we get to the end of this long process and when a decision will be made. This link will give you lots of information.

Argyll and Bute Visitor Levy - your voice matters | Argyll and Bute Council

Now Auchindrain, as you all know, is closed as it always is every year from November to March.

I’m going to pick up from the article in the Argyllshire Advertiser last week.

During the last storm a few weeks ago the site sustained some damage particularly to the visitors centre, which at one point had what looked like an indoor fountain coming through the roof. I hope to meet with insurers this week which will allow us to move forward.

We also need a visit from Health and Safety who will assess the site and say if it is safe to open. As soon as I have confirmation from both, I and the new board will be able to move on with the good stuff and get Auchindrain open. That is what the focus has to be.

I am in the process of setting up a new board which will be made of volunteers from most community councils in Mid Argyll, so that Auchindrain can not just reopen but move forward in a way that is driven by local people, has a future here in Mid Argyll and the integrity of the site is preserved.

But we also have to look at how Auchindrain fits into Mid Argyll, what it’s place is and how we can help it to be what it should be.

We will be looking for people to become part of the Auchindrain family. If you would like to be a part of a new future for Auchindrain please contact me and I’ll make sure you are involved.

There will be much more from me over the coming weeks about Auchindrain so watch this space.

Thank you