Argyll Street and Argyll Gardens - Inspire people, particularly young people and families, to come into town, take a walk along Argyll Street, enjoy Argyll Gardens and help our vital shops and businesses to thrive.

Dunoon’s Victorian high street, Argyll Street, is the main shopping street in Dunoon. It is located within Dunoon’s conservation area and is the place local people converge for seasonal celebrations, for shopping and it is the first place most visitors will wander along when arriving in the town.  

Argyll Street is home to many independent shops and businesses and is also the location of two main cultural venues for the town, the Queen’s Hall and Dunoon Burgh Hall. It connects with one of the largest civic spaces in the town, Argyll Gardens, and historically has been the centre of commerce and community in Dunoon.  

However, shopkeepers and small businesses based along the high street are under increased financial pressure with competition from online retailers and reduced footfall. These pressures are leading businesses to reduce their opening hours. Working-age people are often unable to access the high street at times that fit their schedule and are choosing to go over the water or shop online for goods and services.

Although there is plenty of parking, including disabled parking, directly on and around Argyll Street, communication about parking and parking charges combined with a lack of signage and road markings create confusion and frustration for car drivers, shop keepers and enforcement officers.

Local people care deeply about the high street and recognise the important role that the town centre plays in the economic and social vibrancy of the town. They want Argyll Street and Argyll Gardens to thrive once more. 

Local Place Plan

• Redesign Argyll Street and Argyll Gardens into high quality civic spaces. Centre the design around the need to attract the ‘pedestrian pound’ by improving the flexibility of the street scape for car free events that centre activity in and around shops.

• Reintroduce Dunoon CARS (Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme) and similar schemes to enhance the street scape and provide higher quality business space. Continue to provide grants for businesses to improve shop fronts and repair premises in line with conservation guidance and business needs.

• Rationalise the approach to parking onstreet and in car parks. Improve communication about existing parking provision and pricing. Promote ‘Park and Stride’ schemes to drive foot traffic into the town. 

• Review maintenance plans for Argyll Street with shop keepers and develop positive relationships to encourage more people to keep Argyll Street and Argyll Gardens clean and tidy. 

• Increase planting and seating opportunities along Argyll Street and at Argyll Gardens. Consider taking forward plans to improve Argyll Gardens through large scale investment into the public realm.

• Improve waste and recycling opportunities along the high street and in civic spaces. 

Community Action Plan 

• Local stakeholders, including Argyll and Bute Council Economic Development Team, the Business Improvement District and Dunoon Community Development Trust to work together to access funding for a collective marketing campaign for the town centre and shopping streets in the local area: ‘What’s in Dunoon’ (suggested by a shop keeper). 

• Local regeneration stakeholders to work with local businesses to develop a consistent approach to communication about opening hours and parking.

• Local stakeholders, educators, retail businesses, charity shops and youth service providers to work together to explore retail training and circular economy learning opportunities for young people. Develop a flexible workforce aware of the circular economy to improve the connections between young people and local employers. 

• Dunoon Community Development Trust to explore the potential of community ownership of a high street shop premises to provide a focused space for mixed retail and the training space for young people in the heart of the town.