COUNCILLORS and officials have admitted to disappointment at potentially scrapping a £500,000 savings target for roads and infrastructure services in Argyll and Bute.
A report detailing a recent review of the service was presented to councillors, with a recommendation that the savings target due in the 2026/27 financial year should be removed.
An opposition councillor said that it was “deeply disappointing”, with the full council now set to be given the same recommendation in February.
The discussion took place at a meeting of the authority’s environment, development and infrastructure committee on Thursday, December 18.
Councillor Gary Mulvaney (Conservative, Helensburgh Central) said: “The thing that is noticeable here is the recommendation that the £500,000 due to be delivered is no longer applied. To me, that is deeply disappointing.
“And it is concerning that it is going to be removed in light of the financial pressures that the council has spoken about.
“We have already spoken extensively about events charges, but this is a bigger issue because it is being removed, and how it got there in the first place.
“We put a number against it and members accepted that number to go into the financial budget, and at some point in the future, whether one, two or three years’ time, we discover it is not achievable for various reasons.
“The question is why we put a number into our plans in the beginning. This is an example and it does concern me.
“It concerns me that we are so easily looking to remove that £500,000 target – and we also have a similar-style review of education.
“We put a figure in, and again it comes back to members to push quite hard to officers as to how deliverable that number is. It is disappointing that we are going back the way.”
Executive director Kirsty Flanagan said: “I am also disappointed we have not delivered the savings we had estimated. We came up with estimates based on the original review.
“We have also had a delay in moving forward some recommendations, because we had a vacancy for a head of service, and when Andy Summers was appointed, the interim went back to doing the review.
“I am not saying we will not be able to deliver some savings in the future, but at this moment in time we do not feel able to deliver it in 2026/27. We felt it appropriate to bring forward a report in the future.
“On the education review, what we have in here from roads and infrastructure services is not really different to the education review.
“The slight difference was that we put some target savings through, which we have not been able to deliver on fully, but education have not put target savings through.”
Councillor John Armour (SNP, South Kintyre) added: “I am a bit disappointed in this too, but I think as Ms Flanagan mentioned, one mitigating factor was Stephen (Hall) having to step in as interim head of service.
“That has held things up, but I am not overly happy myself. However, it is where we are.”
