COUNCIL officials have denied claims that a request for changes to the Argyll Rally route was ignored by organisers and officers.
A representative of Kilfinan Community Council claimed that six changes to the route within the village were requested in order to “reduce disruption”.
But after discussions between organisers and council officials, none of the changes were made for the race, which takes place on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20.
The discussion took place at a meeting of Argyll and Bute Council’s Bute and Cowal area committee on Tuesday, June 2.
Community council secretary Catriona Renfrew said: “Council officers were required to be satisfied that arrangements were made to take views of the local community into account, and to involve local residents in planning.
“We have been involved since the 2025 rally and requested six route changes to allow the rally to run in our area and reduce disruption for residents and visitors.
“We are very disappointed that the route changes were ignored, and the motorsport order has been granted without any changes.
“We struggle to understand how arrangements to engage with the community can be made when views are not taken into account.”
Mark Calder, the council’s project manager, responded: “The key point here is that the legislation does not require the council and organisers to accept every suggestion made. It is whether adequate arrangements have been made to allow community views to be taken into account.
“I understand that these views were considered and organisers provided responses. In the context, officers considered that information and concluded that regulations had been met before the order was approved.
“Because the changes that were set out were not adopted should not be taken to mean that the representations were disregarded.”
Councillor Gordon Blair (SNP, Cowal) said: “We have gone through issues and they have not been resolved, which is disappointing, and they may never be if you have a rally going through one village.
“But there has to be continued dialogue, and this is only the start of this rally as we have only had it for a couple of years.
“Weighing up the pros and cons, if a community in a particular area has to put up with more than others, I suppose that is the pluses and minuses of being in a community such as Argyll and Bute.”
Ms Renfrew responded: “It feels like the community council’s views are not an important part of the process. It is not about stopping the rally, it is about managing the disruption when there are no alternative routes.
“We are looking for support to say there should be a listening exercise. [Other community councils] raised issues about the Tarsan Dam stage and that was changed.”
Councillor Yvonne McNeilly (Conservative, Cowal) added: “I do accept Ms Renfrew is disappointed, but it goes back to what Mr Calder made reference to.
“This was a situation where there were detailed responses coming in to officers and he highlighted that because it was not accepted did not mean the response was ignored.
“It goes down to what we try to do here to achieve a balance. All of us would be really upset if the views of the community council or any other community group were perceived to be ignored, but that is not the case.
“We do continue to engage fully, not only with community councils but with other groups in our areas, who play as valid a role in all this as everybody else. It is about achieving balance and coming to the best conclusion.”
The organisers of the Argyll Rally have been contacted for comment.
