New leader role for Oban councillor

The SNP opposition group on Argyll and Bute Council has a new leader after councillor Jim Lynch took charge.

Councillor Lynch, who was first elected in 2017 and represents Oban South and the Isles, succeeds Mid Argyll councillor Sandy Taylor.

There has also been a change in depute leadership of the SNP opposition group, with Dunoon councillor Audrey Forrest replacing Lorna Douglas, Helensburgh Central.

The full council will hear the changes at its virtual meeting on Thursday April 15.

Executive director Douglas Hendry said in the report: ‘On March 17 2021, Councillor Taylor wrote to the council’s monitoring officer to advise that he had stepped down from the role of SNP group leader and that Councillor Lynch would be taking up this role.

‘This change in leadership gives rise to a number of vacancies on committees and external bodies which are associated with the leader of the largest opposition group and require council approval in terms of any changes to appointment.’ Councillor Lynch is expected to become vice chairman of the council’s audit and scrutiny committee and also to join the policy and resources committee.

Councillor Lynch has been working with the climate change group Time For Change ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP 26 to take place in November in Glasgow.

Councillor Lynch said the recent flooding in Oban indicated how high up the agenda climate change needed to be.

Councillor Gemma Penfold, the newly-elected Helensburgh and Lomond South Conservative councillor, has been nominated to replace her party colleague councillor Andrew Vennard, of Oban North and Lorn, on the community services committee.