Local Authority News
5/2/2016
Council House Rents Limited to 1.9% Rise
Council house rents will be limited to a 1.9% rise in order to maintain current service levels. This will mean an increase in the average weekly council rent of £1.35 for all Housing Revenue Account (HRA) rents.4/2/2016
Council Tax rise no longer an option for Highland Council
Highland Council Leader, Councillor Margaret Davidson said: The option to raise council tax in Highland has been taken away from us. We have been informed, if we raise Council Tax, we will be fined not just the 3% we expected but also other sanctions will be applied around teacher numbers and funding for social care.28/1/2016
Dont get - spoofed - by telephone number scams
Highland Councils Trading Standards team and Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau are warning local consumers to be on their guard against telephone spoofing scams. These involve scammers using what to a consumer would appear to be a local phone number specifically to gain the consumers trust when in fact they are based far away and are only interested in getting hold of consumers cash.25/1/2016
Highland Council highlights free cost of Blue Badge applications
The Highland Council highlights the free cost of Blue Badge applications for customers. The Council has been made aware that there are a number of websites that charge a premium for helping customers complete a Blue Badge request form for free disabled parking.25/1/2016
Highland Council tenants invited to share their opinions on Councils landlord services
An independent survey by market research company Progressive Partnerships is being carried out on behalf of The Highland Councils Housing Service. The postal survey has been sent to all 13,799 Council tenants inviting them to share their views on the quality of services provided to them by the Councils Housing Service.25/1/2016
Council calls election for twenty eight Highland Community Councils
Do you want to be a voice for your community? If so The Highland Council is inviting nominations for people to join 28 community councils which have remained unformed following the election held on 18 November last year. Community Councils are voluntary organisations that act as a voice for their local area.7/1/2016
Work continues for Highland budget team
The Highland Councils Budget team, Councillors Bill Fernie, Alister Mackinnon, Ben Thompson and Matthew Reiss, have been working with Council Leader Margaret Davidson over the Christmas and New year period to discuss the way forward for the 2016/17 budget in the context of an extremely challenging grant settlement from the Scottish Government. On Wednesday 6 January 2016 the Budget Team met with the Councils Chief Executive and Director of Finance to explore wide areas where potential savings could be made.30/12/2015
Changes to planning applications website
Are you thinking about making a planning application? Have you started a planning application but have not yet submitted it? If the answer is yes, you will need to know about the refreshed ePlanning Portal - ePlanning.scot - which will go live on Wednesday 13 January 2016. ePlanning.scot will replace the existing ePlanning Scotland Portal but there will be a period of dual running of the current and new portal.22/12/2015
High Life Highland to take over Bught Nursery in Inverness
Next year High Life Highland will take over the running of the Bught Nursery in Inverness which is currently operated by The Highland Council. Savings in the Community Services budget were agreed by The Highland Council last December and this transfer will play a role in meeting the budget target for the service.22/12/2015
Highland Council housing rent consultation 2016/17
Every year Highland Council asks Housing tenants for their views on how their rent should be spent. It is important that our rents are affordable, but they also have to provide enough income to ensure that we can provide housing management and repairs and maintenance to houses, as well as covering other housing costs.19/12/2015
Staff At Highland Council To Be Offered Voluntary Redundancy or Cuts in Hours
Highland Council has sent out a communication to all staff with the the option of taking voluntary redundancy or working fewer hours in order to help it weather the cuts recently announced by the Scottish government. Some positions such as teachersof HGV drivers may not be able to take up the offer due to shortages or ring fencing by Scottish Government.17/12/2015
Highland Council approves an additional £24.520 million for roads, bridges and piers
Highland Council has approved an additional £24.520 million for roads, bridges and piers to be included in the Capital Plan, together with an additional provision of £1.6 million for minor flood works. The 10-year plan, which will fund some £900 million of projects, will now form the basis of a future rolling programme of capital investment.13/12/2015
Food suppliers invited to tender for Highland Council contract
The Highland Council is inviting tenders for a new contract for food provisions covering the period from 23 May 2016 to 17 May 2019. ‘Food provisions are mainly used in school and nursery meals across the Highland area.8/12/2015
Highland Planning Policies to be Refreshed
the Highland-wide Local Development Plan Main Issues Report is just one of the consultations people can take part in. online consultation portal online consultation portal A series of consultations on planning and housing matters in Highland has been extended.
8/12/2015
Council launches new on-line forms
The Highland Council has launched a new suite of online forms, aimed at customers applying for housing benefit and council tax reduction, requesting a council house and reporting routine council house repairs. These forms are part of the Councils Digital First programme, supporting and encouraging customers to use online services and giving customers the opportunity to access council services anytime, anywhere, on any device.7/12/2015
Thousands of unsafe hoverboards detained over past seven weeks
More than 17,000 self-balancing scooters - or hoverboards- have been examined at national entry points since 15 October due to safety concerns*. Of these, over 15,000 (or 88%) have been assessed as unsafe and have been detained at the border.3/12/2015
Caithness Nursery to be retained
Positive discussions have taken place between Caithness Councillors and representatives from Wick and Thurso community councils earlier today (3 December 2015) over plans to ensure the budget savings for Community Services can be met. Whilst managing to provide the £63,000 saving necessary in Caithness, the Wick Nursery, which was earmarked for closure, has been retained, albeit delivering a reduced level of service.3/12/2015
New planning policy will protect historic Culloden Battlefield area
A new conservation area for Culloden Muir near Inverness has been unanimously approved by Members of The Highland Councils City of Inverness Area Committee. This marks the final stages of the first formal review in 47 years to the existing conservation area of Culloden Battlefield which was first designated in 1968.3/12/2015
25 Hours In Schools Policy By Scottish Government Not Thought Through
Highland Council urges Scottish Government to consider the impact of a minimum 25 hour primary school week. Chair of Education, Children and Adult Services Committee, Cllr Drew Millar is urging the Scottish Government to rethink their proposal to impose a minimum 25 hour primary school week.3/12/2015
