As reported in the Advertiser, the local boundary commission has outlined plans to extend the Lomond North ward to include Cowal.

The move would see the ward triple in size, and elected members would be facing 100-mile round trips regularly to attend meetings.

It is part of proposals to reduce the number of councillors in Argyll and Bute from 36 to 33.

Current Lomond North councillor George Freeman previously condemned the proposed changes, claiming local knowledge would be lost if the proposals go ahead. At a full council meeting last week, Helensburgh Central councillor Vivien Dance supported a motion to ‘preserve the status quo’ in Bute and Cowal, by ‘creating a new category of voter/councillor ratio’.

The motion noted the proposals ‘make no sense to local communities’ and said there was ‘genuine anger and bewilderment’ in Cowal. An amendment was submitted by council leader Dick Walsh noting concerns from various communities across Argyll and Bute, and outlined the council’s ‘formal objection and strong opposition’ to the proposals.

The amendment was voted through, with the motion only supported by Cllrs Dance, Breslin and Marshall.

However, Cllr Dance told the Advertiser she supported the motion to ‘start a debate’ on the issue – which was not on the agenda for the full council meeting – and to make clear Argyll and Bute Council’s stance on the matter.

She said: “The motion that we submitted – we being the Reform Group – was submitted to simulate debate. Up until then, the council had taken no position on the changes. We were keen the issue was discussed at the full council meeting. By submitting the motion, that it was enough to get the debate going. The leader was obliged to submit the amendment, that was good as it made quite clear the council was opposed to the changes. Any other motion would not have triggered the response.” Cllr Dance confirmed she was opposed to the proposed boundary changes. She said: “The changes are absolutely non-sensical. They are ridiculous – they were designed by someone who has done it as a table-top exercise and does not know the geography of Argyll and Bute. They have done it based on numbers, and democracy should not be based on numbers.” Under the proposals, the Lomond North boundary could be extended to include the communities of Kilmun, Ardentinny, Lochgoilhead, Strachur, Blairmore, and St Catherines.