Well, what a few weeks it has been in Helensburgh and Lomond and beyond, with the autumn weather now well and truly upon us.

I would like to offer a huge thank you to the council for their effective and quick clean-up operation, which is still going on. As well as flooding in Helensburgh and Lomond, Argyll and Bute as a whole was hit pretty hard, and the council did not waste any time in addressing the consequences with the roads crew working tirelessly to clear roads, trees, landslides, and assess the damage done to bridges and roads.

There are still affected areas and any information and updates can be found on the council's website at argyll-bute.gov.uk/service-status. Thank you to the roads team and all involved.

The flooding in local areas shone a light on the problems facing Helensburgh and Lomond and, in terms of new developments being proposed, highlighted the fact that these issues need to be dealt with before any decisions are made.

Housing crisis

The housing emergency remains an issue in Argyll and Bute with more people coming forward to councillors, worried and stressed about house price inflation, high private rental costs, reduced household incomes and overcrowded homes.

The council is aware of the impact that housing shortages have on our communities, services and the local economy and while there is no quick solution to the problem, I can assure you it remains a high priority and we are doing everything we can to address the issue.

There will be a housing summit taking place in November and the council has set up a five-minute survey closing on October 31 made up of 14 questions for locals to help us understand where the main issues lie.

If you would like to take part in the survey please get in touch with the council. Local information is vital to tackling the emergency.

Autumn and winter events

As the days get shorter, colder and, more often than not, more overwhelming, I would like to encourage you to enjoy this autumn/winter season in the local area.

There are many events coming up in the community with the fireworks display, hosted by Helensburgh Round Table at the Civic Centre, the festive lights switch-on and Winter Festival in the square, events in Hermitage Park, local churches, the Tower Digital Arts Centre, Hill House and of course, Remembrance Sunday, when we can pay tribute to all the brave people who fought for our country and give thanks to those who continue to do so.

Destination Helensburgh has a fabulous website where all information on local events can be found - see destinationhelensburgh.org/whats-on for full details.

Getting out and about in the community is great for the soul.

Sending out love and hope to you all.