26 January 2026: Lochaber Committee

A meeting of the Lochaber Committee will take place remotely on Monday, 26 January, 2026 at 10.30 a.m. 

Recording Notice: Please note this meeting will be recorded and uploaded to the Council’s YouTube channel.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Stewart Fraser - Chief Officer Legal & Corporate Governance

BUSINESS

1. Apologies for Absence/Leisgeulan

2. Declarations of Interest/Transparency Statement/ Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt/Aithris Fhollaiseachd

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should provide some information on the nature of the interest and leave the meeting at the appropriate time.  Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Local Committee Performance Report/Aithisg Choileanaidh Comataidh Ionadail Seirbheis Smàlaidh agus Teasairginn na h-Alba

There is circulated Report No LA/1/26 by the Local Senior Officer for Highland.

The Committee is invited to comment and scrutinise the Area Performance Report.

4. High Life Highland Service Delivery/ Lìbhrigeadh Seirbheis High Life na Gàidhealtachd

There is circulated Report No. LA/2/26 by the Chief Executive, High Life Highland. 

Members are invited to comment on and note the report.

5. Area Roads Capital Programme 2026/27/Prògram Calpa Rathaidean na Sgìre 2026/27

There is circulated Report No. LA/3/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place.

Members are asked to:-

i. approve the rolling programme of Capital schemes as listed in Appendix 2, which will be a multi-year programme;

ii. note that the Area budget will be available after the February 2026 Economy and Infrastructure (E&I) Committee; and  

iii. note that the rolling programme may require to be updated once results from the Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey have been received and considered.

6. Glen Etive 18t Weight Limit/Crìoch Cuideim 18t Ghleann Èite 

There is circulated Report No. LA/4/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place. 

Members are asked to:-

i. note the background to the proposed 18t Weight Limit Traffic Regulation Order and the representations received;

ii. consider the objections made to “The Highland Council (C1094 Glen Etive Road, Glencoe) (Weight Limit) Order 2025”; and 

iii. subject to i) and ii) above approve the making of the 18t Weight Limit Traffic Regulation Order.

7. Cuil Bay 40mph Speed Limit/Crìoch Astair 40msu Bàgh na Cùile

There is circulated Report No. LA/5/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place. 

Members are asked to:-

i.  note the background to the proposed 40mph Traffic Regulation Order and the representations received;

ii. consider the objections made to “The Highland Council (Cuil Bay, Duror) (40mph Speed Limit) Order 2025”,

iii.subject to i) and ii) above approve the making of the 40mph Speed Limit Traffic Regulation Order.

8. Housing Revenue Account: Garage Rents 2026/2027/Cunntas Teachd-a-steach Taigheadais: Màil Gharaidsean 2026/2027

There is circulated Report No. LA/6/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place. 

The Committee is invited to agree a level of rent increase to apply to Lochaber Garages and Garage Sites.

9. Housing Repairs and Capital Report/Aithisg Choileanaidh Taigheadais

There is circulated Report No. LA/7/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place.

Members are asked to note the information provided on housing performance in the period 1 April 2025 – 31 December 2025.

10. Community Regeneration Fund Assessment of Applications/Measadh Iarrtasan Maoin Ath-bheòthachadh Coimhearsnachd

There will follow Report No LA/8/26.

11. Fort William Common Good Fund – Parking Costs/Maoin Math Coitcheann a’ Ghearasdain – Cosgaisean Parcaidh

There is circulated Report No. LA/9/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place.  

Members are asked to 

i.   agree that £4249.55 costs incurred by the Council’s Parking Enforcement Team to operate the paid parking scheme at the Fort William Common Good site is charged against the Fort William Common Good Fund;

ii.  note how the 55% Common Good split was calculated; and

iii. note the maintenance update and the intention for this to be brought to Committee again once surveys have been completed.

12. Education Attainment Reports/Aithisgean Buileachadh Foghlaim

i Ardnamurchan High Associated School Group Overview

There is circulated Report No. LA/10/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – People Cluster. 

Members are asked to scrutinise and note the content of the report.

ii Kinlochleven High Associated School Group Overview

There is circulated Report No. LA/11/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – People Cluster. 

Members are asked to scrutinise and note the content of the report.

iii Lochaber High Associated School Group Overview

There is circulated Report No. LA/12/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – People Cluster. 

Members are asked to scrutinise and note the content of the report.

iv Mallaig High Associated School Group Overview

There is circulated Report No. LA/13/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – People Cluster. 

Members are asked to scrutinise and note the content of the report.

13. Lochaber Area Place Plan Update/Cunntas air Plana Àite Sgìre Loch Abar

There is circulated Report No. LA/14/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place. 

Members are asked to:-

i.  consider progress against the Lochaber Area Place Plan; and

ii. continue to support and promote the plan where possible in terms of its consideration within other Plans, Strategies, development, and funding opportunities across or impacting the Lochaber area.

14. Fort William 2040 Bi-Annual Update/Cunntas Leth-bhliadhnail a’ Ghearasdain 2040

There is circulated Report No. LA/15/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place. 

Members are asked to:-

i. note the progress that has been made with the individual projects within the FW2040 Masterplan as summarised at Appendix 1:  FW2040 Annual Masterplan Project Update December 2025;

ii. note the successful delivery of the Partnering for Progress event in November 2025.  This was organised in collaboration with the Lochaber Community Partnership, the Highland Council Area Place Planning team, and Voluntary Action Lochaber continuing the FW2040 commitment to ongoing community engagement.  Further detail is provided in section 5 of the report; and

iii. support identified priority FW2040 work areas for the coming year as summarised in section 6 of this report.

15. Corran Ferry Update/Cunntas air Aiseag a’ Chorrain

There is circulated Report No. LA/16/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place.

Members are asked to note the:-

i. Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme & Corran Ferry New Electric Vessel updates; and

ii.Corran Ferry Service update.

16. Appointments/Cur an Dreuchd

i Appointment to the West Highland Way Trust, Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) Board of Trustees/ Cur an Dreuchd gu Bòrd Urrasairean Buidheann Corpaichte Carthannach na h-Alba, Slighe Taobh Siar na Gàidhealtachd

The West Highland Way was Scotland’s first long distance route established under the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967. It remains the most well-known route and walked by around 50,000 people end-to-end every year. The Council has been a member of West Highland Way Management Group since the 1980’s, this is currently led by Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park Authority. There is increasing need to source external funds for the improvement, maintenance and administration of the route. The establishment of a SCIO was proposed and is now set up, this would have representation from each local authority involved in the management of the Way amongst others.

The Committee is invited to appoint one Member, from the Lochaber Area as a Trustee of the West Highland Way SCIO for the first term after the AGM on 14th January 2026.

ii Appointment to Knoydart Foundation/Cur an Dreuchd gu Urras Chnòideirt

The Committee are asked to agree that Councillor S Cameron replaces former Councillor A Baldry on the Knoydart Foundation.

17. Fort William Common Good Monitoring Report/ Aithisg Sgrùdaidh Maoin Math Coitcheann a’ Ghearasdain

There is circulated Report No. LA/17/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive Place. 

Members are asked to:

i. consider and agree the Fort William Common Good Fund (FWCGF) Statement of Accounts (Appendix 1) for 2024/25, subject to the approval of the 2024/25 Highland Council accounts; 

ii. scrutinise and note the position of the FWCGF as shown in the 2025/26 Quarter Three monitoring statement at Appendix 2; and

iii. approve the proposed budget for 2026/27 as set out in Appendix 3.

18. Fort William Common Good Putting Green Shed Options/Seada Pairèid Maoin Math Coitcheann a’ Ghearasdain

There is circulated Report No. LA/18/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive Place. 

Members are asked to:

i.  consider options for the potential future use of the Fort William Common Good Fund Putting Green Shed; and

ii. agree the next steps for the potential future use of the Fort William Common Good Fund Putting Green Shed.

19. Ward Discretionary Fund 2025/26/Buidseat fo Ùghdarras Uàird

The Committee is invited to note the following Ward Discretionary Fund awards from 1st November to 31st December 2025:

Ward 11 - Young Enterprise Highland and Moray - Strengthening Career Opportunities for Young People - £300

Ward 21 - no awards approved

Trusts and Bequests awards:

Ben Nevis Peace Cairn Trust Fund – John Muir Trust - £1849.17

HCT Caol and Mallaig Poor Fund – Lochaber Citizens’ Advice Bureau - £2999.97

20. Minutes/Geàrr-chunntas

There is circulated for information, Minutes of Meeting of the Lochaber Committee held on 10 November, 2025 which were approved by the Council on 11 December, 2025.

Lochaber Committee: Monday 26 January 2026

In relation to the agenda circulated for the above meeting of the Lochaber Committee, the following supplementary report is circulated.

Agenda Item 10

Community Regeneration Fund Assessment of Applications/Measadh Iarrtasan Maoin Ath-bheòthachadh Coimhearsnachd

There is circulated Report No. LA/8/26 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place. 

Members are asked to consider the applications presented and agree whether to approve, defer or reject the application.  An approval of funding should detail the amount approved and outline any conditions of funding that Members wish to attach to the approval over and above the required technical conditions.  A deferral would allow the applicant to resubmit the current application at a future date with updated information or for the project to be approved subject to further funding becoming available.  A rejection would mean that the application will not proceed and any future application to the fund should be brought forward initially as a new expression of interest.