CONSERVATIVE councillor Gemma Penfold has been named as the new chair of Argyll and Bute Council's Helensburgh and Lomond area committee.

Cllr Penfold, who joined the council after winning a by-election in Helensburgh and Lomond South in March 2021 and retained her seat following the May 5 election, had her appointment as the local area chair confirmed today (Thursday) at the council's first full meeting since polling day.

Independent councillor Kieron Green will become the new chair of the council’s planning, protective services and licensing committee, replacing the area’s former provost David Kinniburgh, whose bid for re-election earlier this month was unsuccessful.

Councillor Green had previously been the council’s policy lead for health and social care, a role which newly-elected Oban South and the Isles councillor Amanda Hampsey will take under the new title of policy lead for care services.

Councillor Yvonne McNeilly (Conservative, Cowal) retains her role as policy lead for education and as chair of the council’s community services committee.

Kintyre and the Islands Liberal Democrat Councillor Robin Currie, having retained his role as council leader, also returns as policy lead for economic and rural growth.

His deputy as leader, Helensburgh Central Conservative Councillor Gary Mulvaney, also remains policy lead for finance and commercial services – a slight alteration to its previous title of finance and strategic projects.

Isle of Bute independent councillor Liz McCabe, who is now the area’s deputy provost, is also now policy lead for islands and business development.

As well as Councillor Hampsey, some of the area’s other newly-elected councillors have been given policy lead roles.

Oban South and the Isles independent councillor Andrew Kain is policy lead for roads while Dunoon Liberal Democrat councillor Ross Moreland is policy lead for climate change and environmental services.

Completing the list of policy leads agreed by the council is Kintyre and the Islands independent councillor John McAlpine, who is in charge of community planning and corporate services.

Councillor Currie will also continue to chair the environment, development and infrastructure committee, and the policy and resources committee, having chaired both before the election.

All four of the council’s area committees also now have new chairs. Three of the previous four chairs stood down at the election while the other failed to be re-elected.

Councillor McCabe will chair the Bute and Cowal area committee, while Councillor McAlpine takes charge of its Mid-Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands equivalent.

Councillor Kain, in addition to his role as policy lead for roads, chairs the Oban, Lorn and the Isles area committee.

The area's new and returning councillors also now know the committees they will serve on for the new council term.

The 10 Helensburgh and Lomond councillors' committee roles - in addition to the Helensburgh and Lomond area comittee itself - are as follows:

Gemma Penfold (Conservative, Helensburgh and Lomond South): community services.

Paul Kennedy (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh and Lomond South): community services and planning, protective services and licensing (PPSL).

Math Campbell-Sturgess (SNP, Helensburgh and Lomond South): community services.

Gary Mulvaney (Conservative, Helensburgh Central): policy and resources (vice-chair).

Graham Hardie (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh Central): community services, PPSL.

Fiona Howard (Labour, Helensburgh Central): policy and resources, PPSL.

Ian MacQuire (SNP, Helensburgh Central): environment, development and infrastructure, and Argyll & Bute Harbour Board.

Shonny Paterson (SNP, Lomond North): community services.

Mark Irvine (independent, Lomond North): environment, development and infrastructure, PPSL, and audit and scrutiny.

Maurice Corry (Conservative, Lomond North), who was voted in as Provost in the first act of the new council, and who served as a councillor in the same ward from 2012 to 2017, has no committee memberships.