Islands sees rise in second-home owners registering as full-time residents after council tax change

Luing community councillor Mary Braithwaite brought the issue up at a meeting of Oban Lorn and The Isles Area Committee on Wednesday, March 12.

She said it was "extremely annoying" at community level to see this happen and wanted to know what Argyll and Bute council was doing to validate such requests.

Since April 1 last year, second-home owners have been charged double council tax for their property.

Mary Braithwaite also quizzed the meeting about how an out-of-character stainless steel bollard could be moved from the conservation village of Cullipool.

She said the bollard was in the middle of a pavement and not needed. The community council was not consulted before it appeared. First a plastic one had been put in place, later followed by a stainless steel version, she said.

She said there was no issue in the first place  requiring either bollard and therefore it was "a waste of money." She added: "Can we get it moved now?"

A representative from the council’s infrastructure who was at the meeting said he would have it "inspected" and come back soon with a response.

At the meeting, artists and crafters on Luing asked councillors to support an initiative to rent out the island’s mothballed primary school.

The  request came from Norrie Bissel of the visual artists sub-group of the Isle of Luing Community Trust.

Councillor Julie McKenzie said in principle she would support any group wanting to rent the school for community purposes but that there was a process to go through with the education department.

Councillor Kieron Green added that renting the school would be an operational issue but said: "I’d be supportive of any initiative that would make use of the building. Councillor Amanda Hampsey said she too would be "happy" in principle - subject to details.