Speed urged on university status

COUNCILLORS frustrated at the lack of speed on Oban’s university town status have told officers they have ‘no idea’ why it is taking so long.

Argyll and Bute councillors said that, while they respected the fact that processes had to be met by council officers, they were disappointed with how long it was actually taking to get anything done in raising the profile of Oban as a university town.

The University of the Highlands and Islands, Argyll College and the Scottish Asso- ciation for Marine Science all have campuses in the town.

Speaking at the Oban, Lorn and the Isles area committee meeting recently, Councillor Roddy McCuish said: ‘I was at a meeting last week discussing Oban as a university town.

‘I can’t for the life of me understand why we are not further on with this one. Why can’t we just move it on?

‘ We have the university, and the students. It seems like a simple thing to me.

‘Can we not have a sign on the approach into town enshrining this?’

Fergus Murray, head of development within the local authority, said: ‘At the moment we have 600 students and in the future we would like to have 1,600 students. The key driver to this [university town status] is academic excellence.

‘There is also a shortfall of houses.’

Mr Murray explained that 60 more houses were needed for the current student population living in the town. Other areas such as Inverness were helping Argyll and Bute Council the meeting was told.

Mr Murray continued: ‘There is a lot of work going on in the background to try to take it forward.’

Councillor Elaine Robertson reminded her colleagues what the university town status would do in being able to market the town.

Mrs Robertson said: ‘We already have the seafood capital title which has raised the profile of the town and the university brand will add to this.’

Councillor Mary-Jean Devon told her colleagues to stop being so hard on themselves. She said: ’ Things really are moving on and we are not appreciating it. We have to be more positive about the work that is happening.

‘The college and university are growing and we will achieve university town status.’