Yakking for Argyll

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As someone who has already complained about Dunoon’s “interesting” attitude to large capital projects on this website, to read the headline today on forargyll.com regarding “competition” for funding for regeneration in Argyll between our five major towns is deeply distressing. No-one seems to be taking the council to task on this, especially those with a vested interest in Dunoon’s continued corralling of funding. I can’t help but think that the process which pits each of the town centres agin each other must be deeply deeply flawed, especially if one bidder for the funding can distort the process so wilfully.

I think the other issue here is that one centre (go on guess which one!) has an added advantage that it has been named as the Marine Gateway to the National Park, and as we all know, those projects which are associated with Scotland’s first national park are considered by funders (and the consultants who work for them) as of an order of magnitude more attractive.

Seems to me that all this creates an unseemly, muddled and muddied spectacle and does Argyll no credit — unlike Swamp Soccer of course, which may be unseemly, muddled and muddied, but it is great for our reputation as a county. Perhaps the council should raise their furrowed, woolly brows and look at changing the terms of reference like those soccer boys did for Strachur, otherwise they’re in for a stormy time (well, from me anyway).

Related articles

• Dunoon seen to obstruct progress in Council regeneration funding initiative for Argyll’s main towns
• The Imminent Trashing of Dunoon Pier