After the elections in May I looked around at the elected councillors in front of me and I was excited for the future of Argyll and Bute - we had fabulous mix of ages and backgrounds.

The council can only work if it is represented by people with different priorities that are happy to work together towards a common goal.

One thing that has become very apparent is the struggle to deliver everything that our constituents want.

Over the last year I have requested many things, some of which are easy to get and some of which are still a no go.

Everything in life needs to be measured against something else and in terms of the council it means, for example, a road may be in worse condition than another but will not be a priority to resurface because there is less traffic using it.

This can be extremely frustrating for both the community and myself.

The council budget can also only stretch so far and in today’s climate it is spread even thinner.

I am very aware that there are many roads, pavements and bin issues and nothing looks to be getting done about them.

If you have concerns please let me know and I can make sure they are highlighted to the council officers.

I have also been made aware of the local parks being left in a state.

Helensburgh has very limited things for children to do so keeping the parks in great working order should certainly be a priority.

I have had a few residents getting in touch about overgrown areas and paths that are not safe to walk on - unfortunately not all of the roads and paths are owned by the council and therefore a solution can’t always be immediately found for a situation involving these areas.

You should continue to contact us about these issues though and we can find out who owns the area and try to help you get a solution.

It’s easy to get in touch - just call 01436658874.

Alternatively, you can email gemma.penfold@argyll-bute.gov.uk.