A COMMUNITY council has had its future thrown into doubt after all its office bearers resigned, citing a lack of support from Argyll and Bute Council.

Garelochhead Community Council’s convener Watson Robinson, vice-convener Martin Croft, and treasurer Carole Spencer all stood down at the organisation’s AGM in June.

Some members have also resigned, and a by-election will now have to be organised so that the community council is quorate.

An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said that the authority values its community councils and has staff and resources available to assist.

Minutes of the community council’s AGM show that all three of Argyll and Bute’s Lomond North ward councillors,  Maurice Corry (Conservative), Mark Irvine (Independent) and Iain S Paterson (SNP), submitted apologies.

The AGM took place on the same day as a meeting of the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee, which Councillor Irvine chairs.

Mr Robinson’s report as convener said: “Our community council is definitely in need of new enthusiastic residents to push the community council forward.

“This, however, requires buy-in by our local authority, who, in my opinion, fall well short in the way of support and backup.

“Community councillors should be recognised more, listened to more, and assisted more, and also protected more when it comes to malicious complaints.

“Instead, we find ourselves operating outside the council walls, with little in the way of a direct or meaningful communication line to get our residents’ feelings across.

“This, in turn, leads to the feeling that community councils are largely ineffective. In order for residents to feel that the community council platform can work, residents would need to see real change.

“For real change to take place, local authorities would need to open those council gates and start supporting community councillors and make them feel part of the team.

“Supporting them by appointing a council employee to act as a point of contact for that community council, helping with funding applications, place plans, minutes, and general clerical duties.

“Over the past few years I have found that we are simply an email address to aim consultation documents and the like at, used and then ignored when we need buy-in in return.

“Huge change needs to take place. It needs to come from the top and be managed properly in order for council officials to understand what is really required in our communities, not just what they think is required.

“Then, and only then, will community councils have a fighting chance of keeping their members and see the support from their communities grow.”

At the last full community council election, in October 2022, six people were validly nominated to serve on Garelochhead Community Council and were therefore elected without a contest.

Besides Mr Robinson, Mr Croft and Ms Spencer, the others were Cara Bentley, Fergus Madigan and David Norton.

An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: “We value the work of all 56 of our community councils and invest time and effort in operating the election processes and the governance framework for them to operate in, helping to ensure they are available across Argyll and Bute to support their communities.

“We will shortly be conducting a by-election process to fill vacancies on the Garelochhead Community Council.

“We have a dedicated community council liaison officer who is available to provide community councils with advice and assistance, as well as a community development team who can help with a range of things such as securing funding, tools and resources for communities, and training opportunities.

“Community councils can find more information about the support available on the council website.”