ROAD improvements and health and social care services look likely to be the top priorities in Argyll and Bute as the local council prepares to vote on its spending plans for 2017-18.

The authority meets in Lochgilphead today to decide on its budget and council tax levels for the new financial year.

Council leader Dick Walsh says that protection of “core services” will be his priority, along with helping the area's health and social care partnership with its own financial crisis.

And while the detail of the ruling council administration's budget plans won't be made public until Thursday's meeting, Helensburgh councillor Ellen Morton – who is also the authority's depute leader – says more money will be provided to improve the area's roads network.

The administration has also published a full breakdown of the impact of proposed and confirmed council tax increases – suggesting that it's likely Thursday's meeting will be asked to approve a 3 per cent rise in bills across the board.

That increase, if it's approved, would be in addition to the rises for homes in higher tax bands which have already been announced by the Scottish Government.

Councillor Walsh said: “While funding cuts mean we can no longer deliver every service local people want to see, we are committed to doing the very best we can to meet the needs of our communities.

“My intent on Thursday is to protect core services as much as possible and look to provide some assistance to the Health and Social Care Partnership [HSCP].

“The partnership needs to stand on its own two feet in future but I do recognise that they face the same pressures we do, and caring for the most vulnerable and in need in our communities has always been of the utmost importance to me and my colleagues.”

As the Advertiser revealed earlier this month, the Argyll and Bute HSCP expects to make savings of £22 million over the next two years, with £16.3m of those coming in 2017-18.

Councillor Walsh continued: “We also need to look to the future, and the further cuts that are facing us.

“As we did last year, this year we will be ensuring that the choices we make safeguard future service delivery and allow for longer term planning.

“Our strategy going forward is designed to promote stability, security and success.”

The Advertiser reported in January that Argyll and Bute's roads network was still officially classed by Audit Scotland as the worst in the country, although the same Audit Scotland report also said it was the fastest-improving.

Councillor Morton said: “These are difficult times for all local authorities but Argyll and Bute Council continues to focus on what local people say are priorities for them.

“I am glad to say that we will be providing additional funding to ensure our roads department continues to be the fastest improving in Scotland – improvement only possible because of the funding the council has allocated over and above that allocated by the Scottish Government.

“As we look to the future it is also important to consider digital connectivity and the council’s funding for digital transformation projects should improve our effectiveness.”

Conservative group leader and Helensburgh and Lomond area chair Gary Mulvaney said: "Following the £8m grant cut from the Scottish Government last year, Argyll and Bute will see a further £6m cut this year.

"Our budget will focus on trying to protect vital day to day services, such as social care, whilst investing more money in our roads and footpaths.

"With such swingeing grant cuts from the SNP, it is difficult to see how a small local council tax rise is unavoidable, but that may be the price of protecting services.

“Unfortunately, for those in the higher E-H banded houses, the SNP have imposed their own national tax rise which will add up to an extra £530 to council tax bills in their drive for a high tax, low growth economy."

Helensburgh SNP councillor James Robb said his own budget priorities were very close to those mentioned by Cllr Walsh - but lamented the lack of opportunity to see the administration's proposals in advance.

Cllr Robb said: “The council has a budget surplus for next year and almost £10m in spare cash to spend. There is no need for service cuts or to further increase charges or taxes in 2017-18. However, a council tax rise in 2017-18 would reduce the forecast overspend by the council in future years if such annual rises continue to be capped.

"The council leader and I disagreed fundamentally last year on his administration’s unnecessary £1.4m cut to education. His stated budget priorities for next year agree very closely to my own objectives.

"If the council leader had chosen to share his budget in advance to allow proper scrutiny, as happens in normal councils, there could have been a consensus on the budget.

"The factional adversarial politics continues to blight a better future for Argyll and Bute. When the council reaches its budget decisions I suspect many will struggle to understand the fuss.”