A ‘settlement officer’ could be appointed in the latest attempt to reverse Argyll and Bute’s declining population.
Earlier this year a council report suggested that the area’s population was projected to fall by nearly 6% from 2018 to 2028 – compared with a predicted increase of 1.8% for the whole of Scotland.
Argyll and Bute also saw a population decrease of 5.9% between 1998 and 2018, and a working age population decrease of 11.2% in that period.
More than a quarter of the local population is aged 65 and over – and nearly half of the council’s staff is aged over 50.
Shortly before the council elections in 2017 a 0.28% increase was welcomed as ‘really welcome news’ by the then chief executive.
But this seems to have been a one-off, and a £500,000 rural resettlement fund project was shelved three years ago after 157 new residents relocated – but no businesses.
This week the council’s policy and resources committee will vote on a policy paper discussing the creation of ‘repopulation zones’ which states that housing is a major barrier to retaining and growing the local population.
It recommends that a settlement officer is appointed at an annual cost of £22,500, provided Highlands & Islands Enterprise will pay the other 50% of the salary.
The report by executive director Kirsty Flanagan states: “Argyll and Bute’s population, in common with a number of council areas of Scotland, is expected to fall across most areas of the region.
“While the situation is complex the principal cause of this is due to an ageing population with insufficient in migration to compensate for a falling birthrate.”
Two options are out forward – the first focusses on Coll, Tiree and Kintyre, but it is arued that this ‘would not be able to deliver the transformation change that is considered necessary to address this major issue for Argyll and Bute’.
Instead councillors are asked to employ a settlement officer to examine the issue of housing across all of Argyll and Bute, with the report stating: “It is important to establish that this option would look at all housing issues (costs, legislative barriers, land supply, finance, infrastructure) affecting our local communities and not simply confined to the provision of social rented housing.”
The report also suggests that the council should work with the Scottish and UK governments to attract public sector jobs in a ‘live local – work global’ programme.
And it acknowledges that young people leave the area for education, stating: “Although it is inevitable that young people will want to leave Argyll and Bute to experience city life, the fact that young talent from our area may be disproportionately fuelling urban economies across Scotland needs to be addressed.
“It is therefore critical to grow the number of (in particular) degree courses available in the region to either retain or attract students.
“There is also a necessity to build on UHI’s and Argyll College’s ability to offer blended learning supported by local outreach facilities across all parts of the region.”
Another person sitting in an office pushing bits of paper. I’d like to think it would be transformational but i fear the worst. Helensburgh is expanding with many more houses, meanwhile the hinterland depopulates. Every application to build outside Helensburgh is scrutinised to find any way to say no.
The situation is not helped by council policies of driving visitors away. Public toilets are closed libraries are closed, the public realm is neglected with volunteers doing what they can with cleaning some of the beaches, lifting litter and weeding shrubberies; parking fees are ludicrous and send the message that we don’t welcome visitors.
How many people employed by the council are of the clean hands variety and how many do the things that are needed.