Funds secured for new Tobermory car park

Funding is in the pot for a new car park on council-owned land at the top of Tobermory, writes Kathie Griffiths.

Mull Community Council heard Argyll and Bute Council has secured about £800,000, contributing virtually nothing itself to the potential project that would see more parking spaces created in an area near the graveyard at Baliscate.

The funding news was revealed at a recent meeting between island representatives and a council official, who gave a run-down on town parking.

‘The council has been in discussion with the Co-op about moving up to Baliscate. Nothing is confirmed, these meetings are on-going. The decision is for the Co-op,’ said Duncan Swinbanks who was at that meeting and said if the store did move ‘the biggest cause of congestion’ in the Main Street would be ‘away from us’.

Community councillors also heard traffic signs for 20mph limits in the Main Street and banning campervans have been lying in storage for six months and have not been put up yet – there was a mix-up with signs for Oban.

Also on the community council agenda was struggles to get electric meters installed in new-builds across Mull. This is now being resolved.

The community council heard some homes on the island have experienced waits of 10 weeks to get meters installed.

MSP Michael Russell and councillors have been lobbied to help speed up installations.

The community council meeting on Wednesday April 7 heard SSE’s metering services have been acquired by energy company OVO.

Work is ongoing to produce a leaflet to go out to home builders or anyone else involved in a housing project to give them more information on the process of arranging to have electric meters fitted.

Community council convenor Billy McClymont said: ‘Hopefully things are back on track.’