Operating under the governance of the Dunoon Community Development Trust and in partnership with Argyll and Bute Council, the Save the Pier working group has been actively seeking funding and carrying out further research to progress the necessary technical studies needed to inform these types of developments.

The initial goal of the working group is to develop a robust, evidence-based feasibility study, providing a clear case for the pier’s redevelopment and its potential role within the future of the town’s wider marine infrastructure. Longer-term they hope to begin the process of the pier’s renovation.

The wider team —comprising volunteers with expertise in public sector infrastructure, finance, heritage preservation, project development and community engagement —has been engaging with stakeholders in the public and private sector, having discussions with potential funders, and laying the groundwork to ensure any future redevelopment is viable and sustainable.

Our Progress So Far

The project has involved extensive positive collaboration with Argyll and Bute Council, alongside wider stakeholder consultations, a public petition, and collaboration with advisors in major infrastructure, heritage conservation, and funding options.

Community Involvement

Community engagement will be essential to shaping the pier’s future. There has consistently been a lot of interest on social media and in the newspaper with large numbers of people getting behind the idea of Dunoon Pier being regenerated. It is clear that there is good community support for the idea and the working group welcomes the input of local residents, businesses, and local organisations as the project evolves.

At this stage, the focus is on gathering the necessary technical and financial evidence to determine what is achievable.

Next Steps

Funding is currently being secured to complete a feasibility study, which will provide a comprehensive assessment of the pier’s future potential. This study will form the foundation for securing funding to progress any future redevelopment. However, given the scale of the project, careful planning and a phased approach is required. We aim to complete this initial phase and be in a position to share the feasibility study by Summer 2025.

Looking Ahead

Public infrastructure projects of this scale take time, but the dedication of the team working with the support of the local authority and Dunoon Community Development Trust means that there is a good chance that this project will progress positively. The Dunoon Pier working group is committed to communicating on their progress and will provide regular updates via Dunoon Community Development Trust and partners as the project moves forward.

The Project:  We want to develop the final piece of community owned land available at Nonhebel Light Industrial Park, Tobermory to build up to two additional business units.   The new units will be for rent to businesses which are on a waiting list for space at the site.  Project Background & Need:  In response to community identified need for small business premises, community led rengeration charity, Mull and Iona Community Trust developed and now manages 38 business units plus fenced compounds, supporting 24 local businesses and an estimated 61 jobs.  There is a waiting list for the units still, proving market failure and the need to develop the final piece of land on the site to further support local businesses and economic regeneration in North Mull.     Project Outcomes: Positive Changes:  New business units supporting a minimum 2 businesses and up to another 8 local jobs.  Improving access to services, tackling rural poverty and population decline by supporting business expansion, start-up and employment; improving family incomes and making the island a more vibrant and sustainable place to live and work.  Project Timescales: Subject to securing funding, work to start in late 2025 and complete in Spring 2026. Highland and Island Enterprise are a project partner with a funding offer in the region of £200k.

In 2021 and 2022, IKDT secured funding to construst 1.79KM of brand new road connecting the North and South of the island. This project has been in the pipeline for many decades and has connected up the two different communities and is allowing our island to thrive as one. Just after we have secured the funding for the 2nd stage of the project, the tar topping, war broke out in Ukraine. Apart from the obvious humanitarian crisis, this had an instant impact on the price of all the raw materials required for surfacing. It meant we had to scale stage 2 back and make do with tarring the new built section of the road with a single layer of tar and leave approx 500 metres of road in an unbound, farm track state. Our plan for stage 2 had been to deliver 2 layers of tar over the new road (1.79km) and the 500m of existing road when we could petition the council to adopt the road as it connects up the existing council road to several council tax paying households. As it stands, while the road is in use and is hugely beneficial to life on the island however the maintenance burden on IKDT is not ideal. The council will not consider adoption until the road is brought up to the standard we had planned for stage 2 so we are hoping to complete the job. Adoption is key to the long term future of the road and indeed to whole community as it will allow unfettered access to all including vital services, emergency vehicles and access to the lifeline ferry service. The surfacing could be delivered in one week but the effects would be felt for generations to come. We would hope to continue the excellent working relationship with A&B Roads department to help deliver the best value for money possible.

The new sports facility will be suitable for all weather conditions and will enable the playing of various sports on the same surface, including five-a-side football, netball, basketball, and shinty practice.

The Jura Community Development Plan, produced by the Jura Development Trust, highlights the necessity for improved youth and recreational facilities on the Island and concludes that further investigation is required regarding the preferred nature of these facilities.

Developing community-owned and managed assets is strongly supported by national and local policy.

What do we want to do?

This project seeks to transform an existing community space at the Tiree Rural Centre – previously used as a café – into a community-owned vet practice serving the islands of Coll and Tiree. The Rural Centre hosts the island’s cattle and sheep market along with an exhibition showing all aspects of crofting and wildlife on Tiree. It plays a leading role in preserving Tiree’s rich crofting heritage and, together with its central location on the island, is well-placed to host a community vet practice. This represents a significant investment and regeneration project for both Tiree and Coll, and would contribute positively to local economies, which revolve around crofting.

This project is led by a consortium of island stakeholders which includes Tiree Rural Development (which manage the Rural Centre), Tiree Community Development Trust, various crofters and community representatives, and the current vet. This steering group provides strategic oversight and represents a community-led approach focused on safeguarding a key island service and a shared belief that something must be done before it is too late.

To that end, the Tiree Community Development Trust commissioned a feasibility study to investigate renovating the available, currently vacant space at the Rural Centre into a vet practice. With a full design and accurate costs now in place, the consortium are now in a position to commence a build phase of the project, and are actively seeking funding to make this important project a reality.

Why is our project needed?

A vet is absolutely critical to both Tiree and Coll. Without an island vet, crofting largely becomes untenable, as crofters need access to veterinary services to keep animals and ensure their welfare. Crucially, Tiree’s culture, history, economy, and its unique machair landscape are all strongly linked to crofting. In addition to running their crofts, crofters often hold multiple jobs and community roles, and are essential to island life. 

As crofting is the island’s primary industry, the loss of a vet would have dire consequences for the local economy. This would likely lead to emigration and a decline in the numbers of families living on the island. Even a few families leaving would have a significant impact on services, and could spark the further closure of lifeline services such as the school, GP surgery, and local businesses – a gradual process often seen in other small Scottish islands once the population falls below a critical point. Once these key services are lost, we know from experience and research that they rarely return. This is due to the high cost of running services on islands, the challenges of setting up, and the dwindling economic returns and economies of scale. Remote islands are places where market failure is the norm, not the exception. The group recognises that the vet practice is one such service that the island cannot afford to lose. 

Moreover, many residents keep small animals and pets; the operational and cost implications of relying on a mainland vet service for Tiree and Coll residents are significant, in some instances prohibitive. The vet also plays a central role in protecting the island’s unique wildlife and marine life, regularly attending call-outs to help stranded dolphins and seals, for example.

With our current vet looking to retire in the near future, we are keen to minimise barriers that an incoming vet faces. In the past, it has been difficult to recruit and retain vet capacity, and recent shortages in the sector, combined with a low financial return of investing in an island-based vet practice, have made this challenge more acute. Additionally, the current vet operates out of a small and temporary space which is unlikely to meet future RCVS standards and does not fully meet the dynamic needs of an island vet. A high-quality, affordable, and long-term practice ensures that the prospect of moving to Tiree to take over the practice becomes much more attractive and financially viable.

What positive changes will our project bring about?

This project provides key benefits to crofters and the wider community on both Tiree and Coll:

• A bespoke, compliant, and modern vet practice will make it easier to attract an incoming vet to the island, and retain them once they have arrived.
• It improves the standard of care and contributes positively to animal welfare, as well as providing a better space for a vet to operate out of.
• Securing an appropriate practice space for Tiree and Coll safeguards the entire crofting sector, the island’s primary industry.
• Security of tenure for the vet, as well as a stable rental income for a community group dedicated to improving conditions for crofters and wildlife on Tiree.
• Making better use of existing assets, and optimising design to factor in environmental improvements.
• Tiree and Coll pet owners are guaranteed access to veterinary care without having to rely on mainland services, which can be difficult and expensive to access – especially during emergencies.
• The project contributes to the wider regeneration of Tiree’s existing community-owned assets, and will play a key role in Tiree Rural Centre’s future.
• A lifeline island service is maintained, contributing to the overall viability of Tiree’s small, unique, and thriving community.

How long will our project run for?

The project will start on: 01/03/2026

The project will run for : 12 months

The Problem

Our petrol station is threatened with closure due to retirement of the owners, and the business case for a commercial purchase is very weak. We are likely to end up with no fuel within 24 miles (and more for the isolated parts of our district). If people are forced to travel out of the area for fuel, they will tend to do all their shopping on the same trip, affecting other local shops and businesses . Carbon emissions will increase as people are forced to travel at least 48 miles round trip for fuel, over single-track mountain roads. Even running garden tools will become problematic, and our local Life Boat and volunteer Fire Service will have problems with adequate supply.

The Solution

This type of scenario is a perfect fit for a community enterprise response: improving the resilience and sustainability of the local area; providing opportunities for business and employment; and helping our community plan ahead for the switch to electric vehicles. We need a community-owned petrol station to secure fuel supplies in the area in the medium-term, install charging points, create business units for rent, and refurbish the historic building as a community transport and resilience hub. Having run two community consultations in the past two years we know that people will continue to need fuel for the next 10 - 15 years, that there is demand for workshop spaces for small businesses and that the petrol station building (a former Victorian pier house) has a high heritage value for the local community.

Opportunities

Since consulting on the community purchase of the petrol station, we have a had two direct approaches from potential workshop tenants. One local community group has a waiting list of small businesses looking for premises, so the creation of new work units would have a positive impact on the local economy. With joint support from the Scottish Land Fund we would be able to employ a Project and Transition Manager, tasked with delivering improvements to the building, installation of charging points and other renewables measures, managing the workshop spaces and developing our plans for electric community transport. We see many benefits arising from this project as well as securing a vital service.

Current Stage of Planning

We are about to apply to the Scottish Land Fund for support in meeting the purchase price and employing a part-time member of staff. Other funds will come from applications to charitable trusts and the Scottish Government, a community share issue and our own resources. We have a clear idea of the costs of the building refurbishment and the replacment of the fuel pumps with card payment models. Support to install charging points will be our other target for the early stages after our community purchase and there are several possible sources of funding.

Longer Term Goals

The move away from fossil fuels is envrionmentally and socially necessary. Climate change is driving a rise in the number of destructive weather events - Storm Eowyn resulted in a five-day power cut for the district. Our scattered population has a very high percentage of older people and the lack of power and communication was very concerning for them. In bringing the petrol station to community ownership we are not blind to the impact of carbon emissions and their effect on community resilience and environmental sustainability.

Although it may seem paradoxical, our purchase of the petrol station will help in lowering carbon emissions by removing the need for unnecessary journeys of around 50 miles. It will protect local services by keeping a point of sale in the area. It will make the district more secure in providing a storage space for emergency resilience supplies (like camping stoves and satellite phones to be used in future storms). It will allow us to install charging points and solar panels. It will bring a restoration of the adjoining pier into consideration as a tourist and leisure resource for swimming and boating. It will give us a site to base the community transport project that was viewed so favourably in our 2023 community survey. All of these achievable goals mean that the community buy-out will be benefiting the area long after the need to sell fossil fuels is gone.

Atlantis Leisure is a vibrant, community-run health and wellbeing hub in the heart of Oban. For over 30 years, we’ve been a lifeline for locals of all ages - a place where toddlers learn to swim, teens train with sports clubs, adults improve their fitness and older residents stay active and connected. As a registered charity and social enterprise, every penny we earn is reinvested. Our huge range of facilities are designed to support active, healthy lives. We work with schools, NHS partners, and community groups to deliver inclusive, high-impact services. With over 150,000 visits a year and no other facility like it for 95 miles, Atlantis isn’t just a leisure centre - it’s the beating heart of our community.

This application comprises separate projects that are also listed on Aspiring Places indivdiually but we thought it made sense to group them together as a single proposal for the purposes of RCGF too:

1. What do you want to do? We propose a multi-strand capital regeneration programme at Atlantis Leisure — a vital, community-owned asset serving Oban and surrounding remote rural areas — to deliver large-scale, community-led change aligned with RCGF's aims that breathes new life into an over 50 year old facility. 

This project brings together three deliverable, community-prioritised infrastructure improvements:

1. Installation of rooftop solar panels and battery storage: significanty reducing carbon emissions, lowering long-term operating costs and contributing to Net Zero targets. 160k
2. Expansion of Atlantis’ gym: a two-storey extension to accommodate growing community demand, support inclusive programmes like Elevate & Stay Active, and provide flexible meeting and office space to host outreach services and community partners. 175k
3. Creation of accessible changing facility: reconfiguring existing internal space, to provide a dignified, fully inclusive changing area to support disabled users 50k
4. Restoration of end of life outdoor sports pitch: bringing an end-of-life, unusable asset back into service, enabling schools, clubs, and informal groups to use it year-round, relieving pressure from indoor space and boosting physical activity levels. 90k
5. Restoration of Sports Hall Roof: rectifying end-of-life aspects of the roofing. 150,000k

2. Why is your project needed? Atlantis Leisure is a community-run registered charity and social enterprise that delivers year-round access to sport, physical activity, and wellbeing services. We are the only such facility within a 95-mile radius and serve over 150,000 users annually — yet key parts of our infrastructure are now limiting access, affordability, and impact.

• The pitch is end-of-life and unusable, with back-up facilities constrained by a statutory noise order.
• We've run out of room in our existing gym facility meaning vital communtiy programmes like Healthy Options are unable to operate properly
• There is no suitable changing space for users with complex access needs, meaning many are excluded from participation.
• Energy costs are surging, making it harder to deliver affordable access and sustain services for low-income families.

The project will regenerate these essential community assets, futureproof our building, reduce inequalities in access, and enable Atlantis to deliver sustainable social value for decades to come — directly supporting the RCGF’s priorities around deprivation, climate, inclusion, and place-based transformation.

3. What positive changes will your project bring about?

• Inclusive Infrastructure: The accessible changing space addresses long-standing inequality, empowering disabled users to participate fully & independently.
• Net-Zero Progress: Solar & battery systems will directly reduce carbon emissions, support national climate goals, & make Atlantis more financially sustainable.
• Renewed Community Space: The front pitch transformation will reinstate valuable outdoor capacity, expanding options for schools, clubs, and families.
• Address Capacity Issues: Expanding the gym answers a growing problem with existing capacity.
• Child Poverty Impact: Reducing running costs helps us to maintain subsidised programmes, removing financial barriers to physical & social wellbeing.
• Place-Based Renewal: This project aligns with the Place Principle and National Strategy for Economic Transformation by investing in a community-anchored asset with cross-cutting impact.

Together, these outcomes represent transformational, community-led regeneration that will enhance the resilience, health, and wellbeing of Oban.

4. How long will your project run for?

The project is fully deliverable within FY 2026–27.

• Start: Early 2026
• End: March 2027
• Drawdown Ready: All spend will be committed or completed within the terms of the RCGF.
• Delivery Approach: Projects will be managed by Atlantis Leisure’s Facilities Subgroup with oversight from the Board. 
• Match Funding: Confirmed: Atlantis own contribution. Pending: we are actively pursuing applications and conversations with other funders including LES's CARES programme

What we want to do - Lorn and Oban Reuse Initiative (LORI) is our long-standing furniture reuse project based in Oban, serving communities for over 15 years. The project, which aims to achieve a Zero Waste society, diverts furniture, household goods and electricals etc. into reuse and before [these] unwanted items enter the waste hierarchy. In the last 12 months, LORI has supported over 11500 customers including businesses, individuals and families. Those in poverty and personal crisis, those displaced by war in Ukraine and communities challenged by the ongoing cost of living crisis. “Such a fantastic way to reduce wasting perfectly good products. Furniture is top quality and the staff I met were friendly, welcoming and incredibly helpful.” CustomerThis is an exciting period for our charity, as we are planning a major expansion of our work to enable us to better support the growing number of people who come to us for help. Our plans are well advanced including planning consent and building warrant for the proposed improvements and renewals to increase available floor space to meet the growing demand for reuse goods. GRAB has set aside reserves to contribute to the cost of these improvements.Under this grant we propose to move forward rapidly with the project. Available match funding already secured will support project management and admin resources and back LORI during any disruption to trade while improvements take place. Under this grant, captal funds will be deployed to prepare groundworks and the foundations to accommodate new modular buildings, the purchase of new buildings to replace derelict and delapidated units and much-needed welfare facilities. And extensive refurbishment to an existing building.    Why the project is needed - In Argyll and Bute, landfill accounts for around half of the Council’s annual production of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2e). (Source: Argyll and Bute Council Decarbonisation Plan 2021). Positive changes will the project bring about - Planet – Tackling the climate emergency, LORI reduces landfill; 45% of greenhouse gases come from products we use and purchase. Saving valuable resources from landfill, LORI reduces the communities’ carbon footprint and cuts emissions.  In Oban and Lorn approx. 858 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste is produced each year.  Currently just over 10% or 86 tonnes is diverted through reuse by The GRAB Trust.  People – supporting local people and creating jobs, LORI supports communities to utilise existing resources, LORI has steadily increased volumes diverted from landfill each year; diverting over 450 tonnes from landfill in the last 8 years. The initiative sustains 7 jobs and 12 regular volunteers.  Pounds – Strengthening the circular economy we offer low cost, high quality furniture and homewares to everyone as a sustainable, low cost alternative to buying new.  LORI supports the Circular Economy by keeping existing resources in use for longer and our not-for-profit community enterprise now recirculates over £120,000 in our communities annually. Reducing the tax burden, LORI decreases landfill tax, saving local taxpayers over £8,000 annually. Place – engaging and empowering communities LORI is a place where ideas flourish. We support community groups and partners in the third sector. We help businesses like cafes, hotels and Air B&B furnish their premises.  We help communities to share and to learn new skills; reusing and repairing is a creative way to try new things, gain useful skills, appreciate what we already have and find new uses to make the most of it.  GRAB is part of Circular Communities Scotland Share and Repair Network and LORI is a source for tools for makers and craftsmen - keeping traditions alive.Our renewals project at LORI will ensure communities are supported for years to come - increase available floorspace by 80%, introduce welfare facilities for staff and volunteers and extend product lines – the new provision of running water at the site will open up the possibility of testing white goods (washing machines & dishwashers) for example. With increased floorspace LORI will better serve the growing demand for reuse, further reduce landfill and offer increased support to the circular economy in Oban and Lorn.   

After a successful first year of operation, the Connecting Communities Collective wants to continue to develop and improve our offerings to the community. Re_Store is more than a charity shop- alongside selling affordable food, clothing, books, toys and homewares, we promote sustainability and work to reduce waste. We deliver workshops and events to enable people to learn the skills to repair and upcycle clothing and accessories. We also run a Rescued Food Project,  saving short date food from landfill, while offering access to affordable food. We programme events to promote sustainability, share our work and to celebrate our community.

The shop aims to alleviate the impacts of poverty, specifically by reducing food and textile waste and improving skills. While doing this, we have created a social and community hub- a welcoming, safe, creative and encouraging place that helps to alleviate social isolation and promotes community cohesion. We are keen to develop our workshop programme to engage more of the local community. After a successful pilot event in March 2025, we want to run another community fashion show in 2026 to promote sustainability and celebrate the work of Re_Store and the Connecting Communities Collective.

In partnership with a new community-led organisation- the Oban and District Development Trust, the Connecting Communities Collective is working towards the community buyout of the shop building at 113 George St., Oban. This will ensure the security of the shop for the future, along with keeping income within the local economy.  Our plans for the sustainability and development of the Re_Store building and the programme of activities are based on the principles of Community Wealth Building.

Why this project is needed: 

We have proven that our project is needed by running successfully and smashing projections for sales and uptake in our first year of operation. Feedback from participants and beneficiaries has been incredibly positive and we have evidence via feedback and evaluations that we are having a positive impact on the local community. 

Please see the attached document for the full Project Proposal (due to issues with formatting, this wasn't possible to upload)